Diva of Destruction
by punkydiva17
Summary: *Completed* A lifelong friend of the Undertaker's joins the WWE. What kind of havoc can she wreak in the backstage area? R&R.
1. Celina Cooper

**One**

The Undertaker, real name Mark Calaway, drove along the slick country roads in a burgandy rental car. His green eyes squinted, his head looming closer towards the front window. He hated driving in the rain. He knew that he needed glasses to drive these days; his eyesight hadn't been what it used to be in years. But he was too stubborn to tell his girlfriend Michelle that she was right and he was wrong. It was a Texan thing... at least, that was his excuse. He was just being hardheaded.

The windshield wipers weren't doing a damn thing against the torrent of rain that fell, pelting the car with hard drops of water. It was like a monsoon out there. He was almost thankful the windshield wipers were working at all. The rental car was a tin deathtrap. He reminded himself never to book through the online company again.

His eyes shifted a little bit to the left to see her sitting in silence, her head leaned against the cool glass, watching the rain fall. It was an emergency, she had said. He had dropped everything without a moment's hesitation and drove to the directions she gave him in the middle of a rainstorm. He hadn't heard from her since high school, so many years before. Years ago, they were both into sports, but he had graduated years before she had come into the high school. Along with meeting in his senior year of high school, they both also worked at a local restaurant, where she was a waitress and he was a dishwasher. She couldn't have been more than thirteen at the time. They had been close, never lovers or anything, but close friends, almost a fraternal relationship. But once he had gotten into the wrestling industry, staying in touch with her had been a real chore.

"You wanna talk about it, Celina?" His voice cut into the thick silence. Her blue, bloodshot eyes turned towards him and she shook her head before turning her gaze back out to the glass.

She had hit a rough patch after high school, he knew. He still talked to some people who talked to her, and he had always kept up with her. There was something about her that made him want to protect her like a little sister. But her innocence was long gone. From the stories he had heard, things hadn't been too particularly easy for her since she had struck out on her own.

He had heard she was dating another WWE guy. Not an actual active roster Superstar, but one of the guys who were still stuck in the developmental territory, hoping to hell that they would claim a spot on the active roster. She had packed up all her belongings in the back of her car after high school and driven to New York. Why, he didn't know. He never had the opportunity to ask her. He thought that moment would give him a chance to ask, but one look on her swollen face told him that it was better not to ask.

She was a writer. A freelance writer. She had a few articles on the benefits of sex written in Cosmopolitan magazine, and a few other sports articles for Sports Illustrated under her belt. He assumed it was why she had moved so much, to cover story after story. She even did a huge article on the impact of Quentin Tarantino's films in Rolling Stone magazine. She was a talented writer, he had all of her articles. He never bought the Cosmo ones though. Michelle read them. She knew about Celina Cooper, and any time she found an article, she handed it to him. She did that on the road one time and his friend John Layfield, another loudmouth Texan, had found it. He still got ribbed about it all the time. It usually took a squint of his eyes to let John know he was crossing the line, and he'd back off, chuckling sardonically as he made his way off to wherever he needed to be.

Along the way, he had heard from Mark Henry that she had worked as a stripper in Atlanta. He would know. Mark even wrote a chapter in their travel story anthology book how he frequented strip clubs all over the United States. He had wanted to go to her then and help her out. Mark had told him on a plane about a beautiful brunette dancer who danced under the name Celina. He had been naive, and hadn't wanted to believe it was her, but Mark had told him that she had a blue butterfly tattoo on her ankle. He knew it was her. He remembered her showing him the tattoo just after she got it at seventeen, and laughing that her parents hadn't noticed yet. He was wrestling in the independents at that time, under that awful name of "Mean Mark Callous". He smirked at the memory.

"Celina, it's been a lot of years," he drawled, "what made you call me?"

Her head fell back against the passengers seat, and she stared vacantly out the window. "I don't know," she confessed. "Over the years whenever something bad's happened, I just...I always think to call Mark." Their eyes met and he gave her a comforting smile and a pat on her denim clad knee. Her jeans were raggedy, stitched with peace signs and butterflies. She used to do that to her clothing all the time in high school. She loved designing her own clothes.

"Celina, have you eaten yet?"

She thought about it for a minute. "I don't really remember," she answered, running a hand through her shoulder length brown hair. "I don't remember much of anything right now, Mark. I'm sorry."

"We'll hit up a drive through on the way out to the freeway. My treat."

She shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mark. Where are we going anyway?"

"I've got to drive out to Orlando. Luckily for you, I've got a small cottage up in that area. Timeshare I do with a few of the guys. You can stay there and take care of yourself. Get your head straightened out a little bit." She nodded.

"That would be great," she answered. Her tone was soft, serene. "So, when do I get to meet Michelle? I didn't get to meet Jodi or Sara."

He sighed. "I guess it depends if you come on the road with us," he replied. "But you sure as hell aren't coming out on the road right now. Not looking like the way you're looking."

She contemplated his statement for a minute. "Did you just say I'm ugly, Mark?" she inquired, her face taking on an appalled expression.

"Good God, no!" he insisted. "Christ, you women are all alike. Michelle pulls that shit on me, too." He took a deep breath. "Your eyes are swollen and you probably got a whole hell of a lot of crying and shit to be doing. I'm not going to drag you from state to state with you crying so much."

She nodded. She understood. It was a Texan mentality. They were tough. She had lost sight of that years ago when she had left for New York, hoping to make it as a bestselling author. Since then, she had been to so many different states, so many different cities, had danced in a lot of them to earn her way through to the next state. But she couldn't go back to Texas and admit that she had failed to her family. Failure was not an option.

They stopped by a drive-through Subway. Celina felt like she had been out of the loop forever; since when had Subway started with a drive through? But she knew the truth. That the thought was irrational. But she was doing anything to take her mind off of Reid.

There was something she couldn't tell Mark about the situation. It would make things awkward at work. She had been in the relationship for a few years, and had just moved in with him. She had given up working as a stripper a year before at Reid's insistence and had managed to get herself a job as a receptionist at a hotel. She had been feeling a little under the weather and had decided to go home early.

She remembered as she walked into the house and heard noises from the living room. She had thought about calling out to Reid, but decided it was better to surprise him. She almost wished she hadn't. _What fucking nerve, _she thought, staring out the window again. _How could he bring some bitch into my house and fuck her on my couch while I'm at work? _The thought made her sick. The worst part about it was that Reid was the son of a wrestling Hall of Famer. In fact, at one point, he had been one of the Undertaker's opponents. She took a deep breath. Reid Fliehr was a jerk.

"So, how long were you dating this scumsucker, Celina?" he asked. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Three years, Mark," she replied. "I met him when I was in North Carolina."

"North Carolina, huh?" he mused. He took a deep breath. It dawned on him; a developmental wrestler from North Carolina. "It's not who I think it is, is it?"

"Who are you thinking?" He took one stare at her and his eyes rolled.

"Oh, hell fucking no!" he exclaimed. "Good God, Celina, you were dating Ric's son?" He laughed, a full-hearted laugh. The rain was starting to let up, gone from a torrent to a light drizzle. "Shit...I doubt Ric's going to give you any hell, but for God's sakes, Ric's kid? How did you meet him?"

"I met him at a club," she answered, her tone withdrawn.

"You danced in North Carolina?"

She took a deep breath. He knew about her working as a stripper. "You disgusted with me?"

"God, no," he assured her. "You have your own life. I'm not your father."

"How'd you find out?"

"My buddy Mark Henry saw you in Georgia."

"Mark Henry?"

"Big black guy. About four hundred pounds. Probably a huge tipper."

She thought about it for a second. She remembered him. He had offered her dinner with him on the job to talk. He had tipped huge because her boss had gotten pissed. "Yeah. He told me he knew you."

"He told me about your tattoo." She laughed. "For God's sakes, Celina, what made you decide to do that for a living?"

"It was the first job I could get. And I made some good money doing it."

"But it's dangerous. How many men came after you, attacked you? How many friends did you lose?" She thought about it for a second, and realized she had been incredibly lucky over the years.

"I didn't. We had a good security system everywhere. And the girls always left together." She stared at him oddly. "And how do you know so much about strippers, Mark? Did your wives know about this?"

"Oh, for..." He bit the inside of his cheek and took a deep breath. "Celina, I'm a guy. And I was young once. I've been to a lot of clubs. Hell, when I was young, I mean real young enough to have issues distinguishing myself from my gimmick, I was one of those freaky customers. I scared the hell out of a stripper who later became America's favorite porn star, for God's sakes."

"You? Which one?"

"It's not important." He realized he had said way too much. But Celina wasn't about to let up on him.

"Mark..."

He took a deep breath and smiled at the memory. "Jenna Jameson." He stole a glance at her. Her face was incredulous.

"No fucking way."

"I totally did. She thought I was gonna kidnap her or some shit, and she got real scared. Tried to sink some bodyguard or some shit on me as she escaped through a fire exit." They both laughed. "I told Vince about it once. I think it gave him the inspiration for me to kidnap his daughter a few years back." They laughed harder. He turned onto a sideroad. The cottage was at the top of the hill.

"Do you still go see strippers, Mark?"

"Me? No. I get together with Shane McMahon and the two of us go see UFC fights. Most women aren't good with their husbands being on the road three hundred days a year, let alone seeing strippers for like two hundred and fifty of them." She nodded. She understood the logic; she was always wondering what Reid was doing when he wasn't there...obviously, he was doing a lot. Celina recognized her; her name was Melissa Thompson and she wrestled under the name Majestic. The thought of her made Celina tremble with rage.

He pulled the car into the driveway. She had a duffel bag in the trunk. She remembered Reid trying to talk her out of what she was doing as she slammed random clothing into the duffel bag and zipped it shut.

"Come on," he told her, "we'll get you settled in and then I'm going to have to get on the road. I have an all night drive ahead and I still have to go pick up Bradshaw at the hotel." She nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt, getting out of the car. He popped open the trunk and she retrieved her bag while he made his way to the front door and opened up the house for her. He had gone in on the timeshare with Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin and Chris Jericho, who brought the wife and kids every summer for a month or so.

The inside of the house was pretty spacious. There was a spiral staircase leading up to the second story. The inside of the house had wooden walls and a hardwood floor. He assumed Celina would be comfortable there until she got herself sorted out. He'd rent out a house to her when he got back from the road. For now this would have to do. He had to hurry and get back on the road.

Celina was behind him, her bag slung over her shoulder. "This is a nice place," she said. It was a lot nicer than some of the places she had stayed at.

"Well, this will do for now. We'll get your figured out when I get back from Texas in a few days. I'll see you then, okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks for everything, Mark." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug, and with that, he walked out the door. She locked the door behind him and turned, her back to the door, to admire the house. She'd have to think about getting some things tomorrow. But she was exhausted, and she was thankful that Mark was in the area to help her.

She placed her bag on the couch and opened it up, pulling out a pair of drawstring black pants and a tank top. She just wanted to go to bed and get some sleep. The tears began to burn the back of her eyelids, but she held back her tears as she made her way up the stairs.

The bedroom she found at the top of the stairs was nice; she knew there had to be several bedrooms there. Mark had four kids; she knew that. She had always tried to keep up with him, and whatever he was doing. They had lost contact so many years ago. It was just out of desperation that she had called the cell phone, hoping it was still the same number. To her relief, it had been. He had been her savior tonight. And she'd never forget it.


	2. Shelton Benjamin

**Two**

Shelton Benjamin was waiting for ECW to finish taping on Tuesday night. ECW had finished, but SmackDown was taping, and it was the golden rule that nobody ever left a taping before the show was over, unless it was an emergency. But tonight he couldn't wait for the tapings to end. Afterwards he was going to head over to the Timeshare house in Florida that he shared with a few of the guys. He knew nobody was using it at the moment. Everyone else he went in on it with was busy. He sighed; it had been a long month for him. His girlfriend had given him a text message a month ago, breaking everything off with him. He had been dating her for a year and a half. She blamed the time on the road as a factor. She was already seeing somebody else, a childhood friend of his now residing in Colombia, South Carolina. He was devastated.

Her name was Alexa Miller, a five-foot-five girl with caramel hair and piercing green eyes. She was a beautiful woman. He had met her out at a club in South Carolina. His attraction to her was instant, and he had always felt as though he wasn't good enough to have her, like she was some surreal dream girl that he never could please. She was a high maintenance girl, and whenever he was home, he busted himself silly trying to make her happy. But with a woman like her, there was absolutely nothing that could have been done. His mother had seen the end coming long ago, she had been reluctant to tell that to her son, however; Shelton was just young and foolish, looking for The One. Alexa had also cited his love for video gaming as a reason for breaking up with him. It was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.

He was head over in heels in love with her, still. They had been together for a year and a half and he had been thinking about proposing to her. She had already moved into his house in South Carolina, and he spent all his time on the road realizing that there was the most beautiful woman in the world waiting for him when he got home. He had even gone so far as to buy her a beautiful engagement ring while he was doing a tour overseas, where diamonds and gold sold at a better deal and had more intricate designs. It was a beautiful ring, a huge diamond like she had asked for, and now she was gone, and he was left with a ring that had just been rendered completely useless. His mother had told him to save the ring, that there would be somebody important for him down the line. He wasn't so sure.

He felt a hard slap on his back and he looked up to see John Morrison standing above him with his tag team partner, Mike Mizanin. They took a seat beside him. They had been his good friends since he had been drafted to ECW back in 2007. "Hey, man," John replied. "How are you holding up?"

Shelton took a deep breath. "I'll live, man. This isn't the first time this shit's happened."

John offered him a sad smile. Shelton was usually one of the happier guys backstage, and to see him without his trademark smile made things difficult on everyone. "It's hard to marry outside this business, Shelton," he told him. Shelton nodded in agreement. "There's not a lot of women out there who understand what we do. There's definitely not a lot of women who are okay with us being away for three hundred days a year." John, since being the WWE, hadn't dated outside of the business. In fact, he had been dating Melina up until about 2006. It had been a hard breakup for both parties, with Melina turning into the arms of Dave Batista for comfort. It had created a lot of tension between the two men, although John had maintained the high road and stayed mum on the entire issue. He shook it off as best he could. Shelton knew it would have driven him crazy.

"John's definitely right," Mike replied. "And I know it sounds cliched, Shelty, but I sincerely believe that there is someone out there for anyone. Alexa just wasn't it, man. You'll find somebody to give that big ring to."

Shelton laughed. "I feel like a tool now, man," he replied, running a hand over his bleached blond head.

"Dude, honestly, I don't think there is a single guy back here who liked how she treated you," John confessed. "She was abusive - verbally and physically - to you and the roster, and she was really bitchy to us and a lot of the other guys. I've never seen the Dead Man so frustrated with a woman. And he's probably dealt with some grade A bitches in his lifetime." Shelton nodded.

"Yeah, she really was something else wasn't she?" Shelton asked. He had received a lot of heat for bringing her backstage because of her attitude with the guys. And he knew the heat wasn't directly at him, but it still made him feel uncomfortable. The Divas even hated her; hated the way she would stare at them in disapproval, as though they were the scum of the earth. The only Diva that had the nerve to stand up to Alexa was Beth Phoenix, and that was because Beth wasn't afraid to have Alexa hate her. Alexa told her she looked like a man; Beth informed her she was a yappy little bitch. It had almost gotten ugly, but Shelton had to keep her in the locker room for the rest of the night because she had rubbed everybody the wrong way. Just after that, she had accused him of sleeping with Candice Michelle. No matter how much they had said it wasn't true; after all Candice was married, Alexa just refused to believe it. Eventually, he had just stopped asking her to come out on the road with him. And that's when the relationship had gotten harder.

"You were saying she's with somebody else now?"

"Yeah. Moves real quick, doesn't she?" he asked. They all felt terrible for him. Mike gave him a slap on the arm.

"It all works out in the end. You're too nice for a sour bitch like that anyway." They all laughed. Shelton realized that no matter how much it stung, things would get better. "Come on out with us tonight," John continued. "We single boys are hitting up the strippers!" Shelton laughed. He didn't answer right away and the guys started clamoring on him for an answer.

"Oh, fine," he said.

"What are you doing this week anyway?" Mike asked.

"I'm going to hit up the Timeshare in Florida," Shelton replied. "I figure since Orton, Taker and Jericho aren't using it right now, I could go there for a few days and straighten myself out while Alexa's moving out of my place." It had been a real fight for her to move out, but since she found the new guy, she was willing to throw herself into his arms and into his home. _Better him than me_, Shelton thought, a sardonic smile pulling at his face. It would be real lonely for a while, but he knew that it was better to be alone than unhappy.

"That might be good for you," John told him. "But you just keep in touch with us. You need to talk or anything, we're here."

"I know, guys, and I appreciate that," he said. "Really, I do."

"Good then," John said. "Now get yourself dressed up and let's go see some strippers!" Shelton laughed and went into the showers to clean up after his last match.

He was considered to be one of the greats in the WWE, one of the best all-around athletes, an unsung hero of sorts. He had been with the company since 2002, debuting as a member of Team Angle with his friend Charlie Haas. He was a good kid, kept his nose to the grindstone and kept himself out of trouble. He had the respect of most of the men in the WWE locker room, and was friends with just about everyone. He was outgoing, laid-back, and it had seemed almost an enigma that he had wound up with a woman like Alexa. Everyone wanted him to be happy, but they were all pretty sure it wasn't going to last.

He emerged fifteen minutes later, cleaned up and dressed up in a black button-down shirt and slacks. He gathered his bags and left to his car. Mike and John were already waiting for him in the parking lot. It was a Guys' Night Out, and he hadn't had one of those in ages. He was going to take full advantage of it.


	3. Amongst the Brothers

**Three**

Mark was on his way back to his home at the end of the night. The enormous bed in his bedroom was beckoning to him. He was exhausted. To him, his home was his favorite part about being in his hometown for the tapings. It gave him just a little bit more time to spend at home. Celina had been calling him every few hours since he had dropped her off at the cottage. She seemed to be doing better. He had run into Ric backstage; he hadn't said anything about what had happened with Celina and Reid; only that this was something between the two of them and Celina was a sweet girl regardless of whatever was happening. Ric was surprised that Reid had been dating "that Celina", as he had put it. He had voiced concern to Mark that night that Reid was falling into the pitfalls of the wrestling industry; but his youngest was now an adult. Ric was busy enough being an ambassador to the WWE. He also knew better than to stick his nose in his child's life. No good ever came of it.

Mark had run the idea of bringing Celina into the company to Vince when he had arrived at the arena, and he had loved it. Since he and Kane were having problems with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, Edge and their little army, he thought it would be fantastic to bring a new Diva into the bunch. And even though Celina had no real training, Mark was willing to teach her as much as he could so that she could get through if the going got tough. But he knew he wanted to keep her as more of a managerial role in order to counteract with Vickie Guerrero. Until the day Vickie Guerrero got into the ring, Celina would be more or less safe from having a rocketbuster match.

The entire storyline made him uncomfortable, along with three quarters of the fans and along with about a quarter of the Superstars in the WWE locker room. She was Eddie Guerrero's widow, for crying out loud, and to stick her with Edge, of all people, who had just finished a controversial run with Lita...it just didn't seem right. But business was business, he supposed. He had spent eighteen years in the industry to get where he was at and the last thing he was going to do was fully focus on Edge and Vickie Guerrero's storyline. That was their career and it had nothing to do with him. He had his own storylines and his own life to worry about.

Kane entered the locker room, the ECW Championship around his waist. Mark turned to him and laughed. "Man, that belt looks small." He adjusted his larger World Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder. He was already cleaned up and dressed in a black OCC T-shirt and a leather jacket with blue jeans. He was ready to leave for the night, actually looking forward to spending the night at his own home.

"Thanks a lot," Kane, real name Glen Jacobs, replied. He sat down on a bench and began to unlace his boots. "So, what's this I'm hearing about a new Diva coming into the company? Vince tracked me down before the tapings started and said that we're going to get a brand new Diva." He shrugged. "I guess so long as it's not another Diva Search reject."

"Yeah," Mark confirmed. "She'll be working with you and I. I guess Vince is going to reunite us to work against Edge's little army." A low whistle escaped Glen's lips.

"So what's this one's name?"

"Celina."

Glen's eyes looked over at Mark. Her name was familiar. It dawned on him and his face registered vague comprehension. "Celina...as in..."

"Yeah."

"I didn't realize she was into wrestling."

"She's dated a few." They both laughed. "Has to give her some experience."

"So when are we bringing her in?" Glen inquired. Mark shrugged.

"Whenever she quits crying about this Reid Fliehr shit." They both laughed. Mark was not one to handle hysterical females. It made it even funnier that he had two daughters of his own. Their teenage years were inevitable, and it was something Mark had made clear he wasn't looking forward to.

"Well, I'm looking forward to finally meeting this Celina Cooper," Glen replied. "The only girl in this world who could get away with having an issue of Cosmo dropped into Mark's duffel bag."

"Drop it." Glen laughed. It was still a sensitive subject. It had been a pretty big shot to his ego when the guys had found out Michelle had stuck that issue of Cosmo in his bag. No excuse would have sufficed, especially with a big mouth like JBL. Mark had tried giving Michelle hell for doing it on the road, but she had just laughed it off and told him to lighten up. Glen contemplated an idea for a second.

"You think we're in for like another Ministry reunion?"

"Oh, God, I hope not," Mark replied. "Anyway, you and I alone...we could take them." They both laughed. "So what's up for your night?"

"Go back to the hotel, call the wife. How about you?"

"Go chill out with the girlfriend," he replied. "Maybe ice down the knees. I twisted it hitting that Old School tonight." Glen nodded. It was a risk every wrestler was aware of before they started. The risk of the injuries. And as Father Time began to kick their asses, the injuries became more frequent. It was why Glen had called off doing the Tombstone for the most part; it was just too hard on his knees. "Well, I'm off to go track down Michelle," he told him. "I'll see you next week, man."

"You know it. Take it easy," Glen replied. Mark nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder and left the locker room.

"Celina," Glen said, a low whistle escaping his lips again as he gathered his things for a shower. "Finally get to meet her."

He had heard for years about Celina. She had been Mark's friend for a real long time. Even though they had lost touch for a while, he always talked about her like he had only spoken to her hours before. She was like a daughter to Mark, and he was always proud of her.

He took a deep breath and went into the shower area to clean up. He was exhausted. It's been a lot of years since he had started wrestling and sometimes, the travel still caught up with him. It wasn't an easy life, but it was a life he would have never traded in for the world.


	4. Meeting Celina

**Four**

Shelton pulled the car into the driveway of the cottage. He felt a strong sense of relief rush over him. He would stay there for a few days and just take it easy while Alexa moved her things out of the house. He just couldn't handle seeing her at the moment. He was in a lot of pain, and he knew seeing her leave his house that one last time would be too much.

The ring he had bought her was in the glovebox. He had no idea what to do with it now. He supposed he could listen to his mother and keep it for that someone special. But at the moment, he was cautiously pessimistic that he was doomed to remain alone for the rest of his life. Maintaining a marriage in the wrestling industry wasn't easy, almost close to impossible. Men like JBL, Batista, Undertaker and Jerry Lawler could attest to that. Shelton took a deep breath. He wondered if everything could have been avoided if he had just listened to everyone to begin with. The Divas - the beautiful, sweet women he traveled with - knew her type and were only trying to give him advice that would be for the best. But he hadn't listened. He was just hardheaded. In love. He realized at the moment that love truly was blind. He had lost sight of everything and had given himself completely over to Alexa. And in the end, he finally had to wake up and see her for who she was. And it was painful.

He shut the car off and climbed out. It was a nice place. He had been thinking of a future with Alexa when he went in on this place with the guys. He wanted a wife; children. He wanted to hear the little footsteps of his children running through the house, playing and screaming and laughing. Unfortunately, he'd have to wait for a little longer. Now, as he thought about it, he realized that Alexa was not mother material in the slightest.

He grabbed his duffel bag from the trunk. He was dressed casually in a pair of sweatpants and an old T-shirt that had been put out for him in 2004. When he had gone to Raw and had a hell of a run, defeating Triple H multiple times. He knew he had made it when he had managed to defeat one of the top guys. The feeling had been indescribable

Slinging his bag over his shoulder and slamming the trunk shut, he began to make his way up the driveway towards the door, moving his keyring around in an attempt to get to the key to the front door. He was looking forward to just relaxing, and doing anything he could to get his mind off of Alexa.

He heard music coming from inside the house. His face darkened, his eyes narrowed in confusion. Everyone said that they wouldn't be there. Granted, he hadn't spoken to the Dead Man, but Mike had told him he had stayed in Texas. He wondered if Orton had come to get away for a few weeks. His wife was pregnant and suffering from the most intolerable moodswings. "Oh, well," he mused. It just meant that he had company for the next few days. He unlocked the door and walked in, closing the door.

"Hello?" he heard a voice. Umistakably female.

A beautiful woman emerged from the kitchen. She was dressed in a spaghetti-strapped black sundress, her shoulder-length brown hair a ponytail. She wore a white apron tied around her waist, her hands covered with flour. The first thing that struck Shelton was her eyes. A clear blue, like an ocean. Even from a distance he could tell her eyes were blue. They were lucid, incredible.

"Am I in the wrong place?" Shelton inquired for a second. He thought about it for a second. He couldn't be; the key had worked in the front door. She smiled.

"No. You must be one of the guys in on this place," she replied, wiping her flour-coated hands on her apron. "I'm Celina Cooper. I'm a friend of Mark's..." She approached and extended her hand.

He reluctantly shook her hand. He was taken aback; her grip was strong. "Shelton Benjamin."

"Hi, Shelton. What's with the blond?"

"What?"

"Are you supposed to be ripping off Sisqo? Is that your gimmick?"

Shelton gave her a sarcastic laugh. "Very funny. It's a golden standard thing."

"That's what they call it now," she murmured. He rolled his eyes. "I'll drop it." He nodded, giving her a sarcastic smile.

"Thanks."

"So, a friend of Mark's...how do you know him?" Shelton asked.

"We're both from Texas. I used to work with him when he graduated high school."

"Was he as scary then as he is now?" Shelton inquired, following her into the kitchen. She arched an eyebrow as she went back to mixing cookie dough.

"Mark's scary?" She laughed at the thought. She supposed that over the years he had created quite an image for himself. But she always still saw that idealistic teenager doing dishes at the back of the restaurant. He had seen her through so much during that time. They had been inseparable.

"Have you ever taken one great big look at the guy?"

She laughed. "He's a nice guy, Shelton. Once you get past the whole tough Texan thing." Her eyes moved up to face him. "Where are you from?"

"South Carolina. How about you?"

"Me? I'm originally from Texas, but I was in North Carolina, Atlanta, New York, and I was in Miami for a little while before I came out here."

"What brought you out here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me why you're here." Shelton contemplated the question for a second.

"Deal."

She took a deep breath. "I broke up with my boyfriend."

"Ouch."

"Caught him fucking another girl on my couch. Ouch is a bit of an understatement." Shelton nodded at that, a little bit taken aback by her language. "Okay, Goldilocks, what brings you here?" She began to scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. His face scrunched up at the shot she had taken.

"Broke up with my girlfriend."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Nah. She was a bitch." They both laughed.

"One of those, huh?" she inquired, putting the cookie sheet in the oven. "Too bad there isn't a shortage of those out there." Shelton smiled. She went to the sink and began to wash some of the dishes from her baking.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked. He felt terrible watching her bake and not helping her out. He was surprised to see her bake; Alexa never did anything like that.

"No. You can always keep talking to me if you feel like it." She washed the dishes she had used and put the stuff away. She thought about something to ask her. It dawned on her. "So, what's Michelle like?"

"Who?"

"Mark said he's dating a girl on the roster named Michelle."

"Ah, yeah. Michelle McCool. She's a nice girl. Don't understand how she's with a guy like Mark. It's like an Odd Couple thing." Celina laughed.

"Do you have a problem with Mark or something?"

"No, no," he quickly answered. "He's just...really intimidating. I don't understand how anyone can be around him and not run for the hills."

She smiled. "He's not that bad, Shelton. If you ever take the chance to just sit down and talk with him, you could learn so much."

"I have," Shelton replied. "He's just...scary." They laughed. "Wow... a friend of Mark's...and you look... normal."

"Don't be so sure. I have a butterfly tattoo on my ankle." They laughed.

"Rebel."

"I was. Mark was the first one to find out about it. Of course, that was so long ago that he didn't have a single tattoo." Shelton thought about it. That must have been a long time ago.

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-five. You?"

"Thirty-one." She smiled.

"Think you'll have that hair by forty?"

"What's so bad about the blond?"

"It just doesn't look right." He laughed. She pulled the cookies out of the oven and placed them on the counter to cool. The scent of the cookies drove him crazy.

"I'm allowed to have one, right?"

"Let them cool first." She laughed. "So how long do I have company for?"

"A few days. My ex is moving out of the house, so I thought I'd be here while she took care of it." She nodded. "How about you?"

"I'm not too sure. Mark should be here in a few days. He was thinking about taking me on the road with you guys."

"Would Vince be okay with that?" He remembered what it was like with Alexa. But Celina seemed like a nice girl. And if Mark was bringing her in, there was a good chance he would be able to keep her in line.


	5. Road to Florida

**Five**

It was a beautiful, crisp morning in Houston when Mark decided to set out on the road for Florida. It would take a long while, but he enjoyed the long road trips. Over the years, when he had first broken into the industry and was driving from territory to territory, he had learned that the road trips provided him with a lot of time to think and reflect on his career, his move set, new finishers and promo ideas. However, on this trip, he wasn't going to be alone; Michelle had managed to talk Mark into taking her to Florida with him. She really wanted to meet Celina, and Mark knew no matter how hard he tried to argue it with her, there was no way she wasn't coming along on the road trip when the "World Famous Celina Cooper" was involved. She knew that the two of them had a friendship that spanned back a lot of years, and in a strange way, she hoped that Celina would approve of her dating Mark. He hadn't told her that she had never met his ex-wives. But she had insisted, and he had grumbled and stated that he was in control of the radio. Her face had lit up, and she had kissed his cheek before running upstairs to get herself ready for the trip. He had smirked; he loved Michelle. Her music...not so much.

She made her way downstairs twenty minutes later, dressed in a pair of dark blue glittered jeans and a halter top, her hair in braided pigtails. She had a large black duffel bag with the WWE logo embroidered on the side slung over her shoulder. A wide smile crossed her beautiful features, and Mark noticed a visible bounce in her step. She was so simple when it came to making her happy. "I'm ready to go," she stated, giving him a kiss. Because of their foot height difference, he had to lean down for her to do it. "How about you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I've just been waiting on you." She took a step back and looked him over.

"Where's your stuff?"

"In the car already. You took forever." He tightened his bandana. "As usual," he mumbled under his breath. Michelle's face took on an expression of mock offense and she slapped him in the arm. He stared at her, surprised. She was one of the very few people that could smack him and get away with it.

"I heard that," she informed him. She slid on her shoes; a pair of heele sandals with an open back. "So, how is she doing since everything happened?" Michelle inquired as they left the house. Mark locked the door behind them.

"As good as can be, I suppose. She's put up with worse, I'd imagine." Michelle had nodded; she knew Celina had used to work as a dancer. Mark had told her. He had been so concerned for her in that line of work. He shrugged. "I can't see this being something she couldn't bounce back from." Michelle nodded; the girl had probably suffered through worse.

"Does she know that Vince wants to pair her up with you and Glen?" she inquired. He shook his head.

"I figured I'd talk to her about that when I saw her next. I thought I'd give her some time to get over this Reid bullshit."

"What did Ric say about the situation?" Mark had explained the whole situation to Michelle after he had dropped her off at the cottage.

"What can Ric say?" Mark asked. He pressed a button on his keychain and the car unlocked itself with a beep. He popped the trunk and Michelle put her bag in the trunk with Mark's things as he climbed into the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

Their relationship had been a slow progression after she had come to him to ask his help in training a little bit. A Diva Search reject from the class of 2004, Michelle was determined to make something of herself in the wrestling industry, hoping to have a career that would emulate the likes of Trish Stratus and Lita, and hoping that in time people would forget that she had taken part in the Diva Search. Michael Cole brought it up a fair bit on SmackDown, yet most people never heard about Candice. Michelle wondered how much it affected everyone's perception of her in the ring. At the time Michelle had come to him for help, Mark had been going through a divorce with his then-wife, Sara. Michelle had met Sara a few times; they all remained good friends with for the sake of Mark's two daughters. Even though Sara was fine with Mark dating Michelle, there were some girls in the back that gave Michelle a lot of flack; Mark was considerably older than she was, and he held a pit of pull with the McMahons. But she didn't care. Things happened between her and Mark that was really out of both of their control. And she loved him to death. That was all that mattered. Her career was doing fine without Mark's help, not like she had ever asked or he had ever offered to help. They both knew in the wrestling industry, you had to make it on your own merits, or you were weeded out pretty quick.

She climbed into the passenger's side beside him and buckled her seatbelt as he started up the car. "Do you think she'll mesh well with the girls on the road?" Michelle asked. Mark nodded.

"Celina's a bit of a spitfire, but she doesn't act unless she has a reason," Mark replied. "And since none of you women on SmackDown or ECW are shit disturbers, I'm pretty sure she'll be fine." Michelle nodded.

"Not like that thing Shelton Benjamin brought around to us," she mused. There wasn't a whole lot the entire Divas locker room agreed on, but their stance on Little Miss Alexa was pretty universal.

"That woman was a real bitch," Mark replied. He hated to speak that way about women, but Alexa had been something else. He had only met her once, with Michelle, and he had put her in her place for speaking out of turn to Michelle. Alexa had taken one look at Mark and had decided to take his verbal onslaught. There wasn't a whole lot of people out there dumb enough to fuck with him, and she was definitely one of them. Backstage, it was his yard, and you respected the people within that yard, or you were out. He had talked to Shelton, who was already intimidated like crazy by him, and eventually her road trips had become infrequent to the point where she just stopped coming along at all. "So, what happened to her, do you know? I haven't seen her around in months."

"Layla was telling me that she left him. He's pretty devastated. I guess he told Mike that he was ready to propose to her."

"Mike..."

"Mizanin."

"Ah okay. Better that didn't happen. I couldn't see that marriage lasting. Women like her aren't meant to get married." Michelle nodded. "At least she won't be backstage at our shows anymore." Michelle smiled and nodded in agreement. That was the only thing to look forward to in the situation.

"Still, Shelton is such a nice guy, I hate to see him hurt like that." Mark nodded; Shelton had been with the company for a little over six years now, and he was one of the best all-around athletes that the company had. Mark had alot of respect for him, but he had really questioned Shelton's judgment on picking Alexa as a candidate for marriage.

"He's a big boy; he'll bounce back," Mark informed her. Michelle nodded. Breakups were just a fact of life. She remembered how devastated she had been when her marriage had fallen apart; it had been difficult to face all the fans with a smile and give her all in the ring. And as hated as Alexa was in the locker room area, she knew that Shelton was head over heels in love with her, doting on her in hopes of a family life that she just wasn't willing to provide for him. It was just heartbreaking.


	6. Making Dinner

**Six**

Shelton was completely enamored with everything Celina, even though he had known her for a little more than a few hours. She was like Superwoman or something. The cookies had been amazing; they had vaguely reminded him of what his grandmother used to bake for him as a child. With a wide smile spreading across his features, he had taken a few cookies from the cookie sheet on the stove and had gone upstairs to unpack while Celina cleaned up a little bit. She told him she was going to make dinner in a little while. Mark had called her a little while ago; he was on his way with Michelle. He said they'd be there in the morning sometime and that Michelle was looking forward to meeting her. Celina's face had visibly brightened when he had told her he was on the way, but she wasn't sure what had happened with Sara. She knew better than to ask Mark about that, though. He knew how to keep private things private. Celina had told him that Shelton was there, too, and he had demanded to speak to Shelton. Befuddled, Shelton had taken the phone. Mark had told him to take it easy and to make sure Celina keeps herself busy. Shelton had nodded and handed the phone back to Celina, who had chattered away as though she hadn't missed a beat with him.

His cell phone rang as he dropped his bags on the bed. He fumbled through his pocket and grabbed his phone, a razor-thin black and red phone. He took a deep breath, biting the inside of his cheek in frustration as he saw the caller ID. It was Alexa. He wished she'd leave him alone. She was the one who had ended it, yet she was calling him. He wondered if he should answer it. His shoulders slumped in defeat. It may have something to do with the house, so he figured it was for the best that he answered the phone.

He flipped open his phone. "Yeah?"

"Shelty?"

"What?"

"Can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Alexa. You left me. It's over. Done."

"Shelty..."

"Seriously, Alexa. Just drop it and be out of the house when I get back."

"Where are you?" Her tone was getting whiny and impatient. He wondered what he had ever seen in her. He scoffed.

"It's not important, nor is it really any of your business, Alexa. I'll be back next week and you'd better be gone. Leave your key on the counter."

"Shelton, don't be like that."

"Don't be like what? You wanted it to be over, it's over." There was a knock on his door. "I got to go. Celina's here."

"What -" He snapped the phone shut. He smiled. That ought to stick to her. His smile turned into a giant grin with a bit of a chuckle.

"Yeah?" he called out. The door opened slightly and Celina opened the door. She was still wearing the apron around her waist.

"Sorry. Bad time?"

"Nah. Ex called." She nodded and walked in. "What's up?"

"Are you staying in for dinner?"

"I'm not too sure yet. Why?"

"Well, I thought I'd grill some hamburgers, so I wanted to know how many to make." Shelton thought about it. It was probably better than going out, and he was pretty sure Celina could use the company. He flashed her a smile and placed his cell phone on the nightstand.

"Sure. I'll stick around for dinner. Do you want me to help you out with anything? I'd feel pretty bad otherwise." She smiled at the offer.

"Maybe, if you want to make up a salad while I'm grilling...or is a guy supposed to do the grilling?" Her face scrunched in confusion. He chuckled.

"How about you assign me to a task and I'll take care of it?" Celina nodded.

"Works for me. Anyway, I'll let you get back to unpacking, and I'll see you for dinner." He nodded and she let herself out of his room. He smiled. She seemed so down-to-Earth. He was just happy that for everyone who could have possibly been at the house, it was someone who wasn't asking him a ton of questions about Alexa.

He opened his duffel bag and began to unpack his clothing. He'd spend a few days relaxing before he went back out on the road with Mark, Michelle and Celina, and then he'd make his way back to his empty home. He thought about what it would be like with her in the backstage area; he couldn't see her being hated by the Divas; she seemed too sweet to be hated. He thought she'd get along great with the girls. He wouldn't be surprised if she made best friends with Mickie James. The two of them seemed cut from the same cloth.

He finished unpacking and thought about taking a shower to clean up. The last two days had been a total blur for him. He checked the clock on the nightstand; he'd have time before dinner, he assumed. He gathered some nicer clothing in an attempt to have a nice dinner and get to know Celina. Their situations, though different, were still pretty similar and he was thankful that he was making a friend who had been stuck in a similar time of turbulence. He also assumed that it was a good idea to get to know her if he was staying with her for a few days.

When he came downstairs half an hour later, changed into black slacks and a black button-down shirt, he found Celina behind the counter in the kitchen, mixing hamburger to make patties. She looked up. He wasn't an unattractive guy, but the blonde drove her crazy. It just stuck out like a sore thumb. She grinned and kept her eyes downcasted to the counter. She motioned with a nod of her head over to the counter, where the vegetables were scattered about by a large bowl. She then moved her head behind her. "Knives are in the block behind me. I'll get you to make that up."

He nodded and moved behind her. She was using an indoor grill that was hooked up. The fan was on above the stove in an attempt to disperse the smoke that would soon resonate from the grill.

He took his place beside her at the counter and ripped open the lettuce. "You do this often?"

"What?"

"Cook."

She laughed. "I don't mind it. I'd rather bake. It's better for anger management." She laughed. "I'm assuming you're not one for cooking?"

"I'm a wrestler. I'm used to whatever is at the airport, whatever is in catering, or whatever place is close by." She nodded.

"I could understand that," Celina mused, "being so busy and all. What about your days off, though?"

"Alexa wasn't much into it."

"That sounds really old-fashioned. Don't you know how to cook?"

"Well, yeah, of course. My momma taught me to do that. But after all the travel and such, I'm usually too tired or busy to cook." He realized he was putting his foot in his mouth. He fell silent.

"So what's it like working for WWE?" she inquired, sticking chopped onions into a food processor. "I mean, it's the biggest wrestling company in the world."

"It's amazing," he replied. "The greatest feeling in the world to be in the biggest sports entertainment entity."

"How many WrestleManias have you been at?"

He stopped and thought about it for a minute. "Nineteen...twenty...twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-four...I was at twenty-three, but I wasn't on the card. I did a battle royal. So, it's been five." A low whistle escaped her lips. It was impressive; of course, not as impressive as Mark's sixteen appearances.

"So what's it like being at WrestleMania?"

"Nerve-wracking," he told her. "It seems to get bigger and bigger every year." Celina nodded. She always wondered what it would be like going to WrestleMania. To experience the spectacle of it all. Reid had always said that he dreamed of being in the main event of WrestleMania one day, to become a legend like his father. "I didn't realize you were a wrestling fan," he stated. His eyes looked over at her. "Or is it solely for Mark?"

"I catch it every now and then. Remember - I was dating one there for a while. You can't date the son of Ric Flair and not tune in every now and then. Plus, I used to watch a long time ago, when Mark told me he had been signed."

"What was it like seeing him on TV the first time?" he asked her. She smiled.

"Well, the first time, in WCW, when he was 'Mean Mark Callous'..." She laughed at the awful gimmick, "It was amazing. I didn't even care that it wasn't the greatest name out there. He used to talk about going into it all the time when we worked together, and I was really proud of him that he made it happen.

"Now, the first time when I saw him as the Undertaker..." she laughed. "I barely recognized him. His hair was long, he was all in black, pale. My parents even had a hard time believing it."

"So, which Undertaker gimmick do you prefer?" he asked. She smiled.

"I really liked him as a biker," she told him. "That was a lot like the Mark I remember from high school. Sometimes, the gothic gimmick he has scares me. But it's really cool that they give him 'supernatural powers'."

"Have you met Kane?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No," she answered. "I lost touch with Mark for a few years. I actually kind of got pretty lucky when I called him last night." Shelton nodded, chopping a green pepper to throw into the lettuce. She smiled. "Even in high school, that guy was always my night in shining armor."

"Did you two ever date?"

"Mark and I? God, no," she laughed. "Try telling that to my parents though. His, too. We were the greatest thing that never happened." Shelton laughed. "He and I were always more fraternal. No dating there. I was really young at the time. Hell, we were working together, he was working during the day, doing indy shows at night. He didn't even have time for a girlfriend. Hell, keeping in touch with me became difficult."

"Did that ever bother you?"

"Not really. I knew he was doing what he had to do. He always checked in over the years with my parents, but by then I was moving all over the country."

"Oh?"

"Just a sowing your oats kind of thing," Celina said. She decided she didn't want to tell him about her past as a stripper. It just wasn't important. And she wanted to start anew.

The duo fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to make dinner together.


	7. Meeting Michelle

**Seven**

Celina rolled over in the morning when she heard a car pull into the driveway. It had been hot and stuffy in her bedroom, and she had opened the window before going to bed. She could hear the tires pulling up close to the house. Through hazy eyes, she looked at the alarm clock that was perched on the nightstand. It was ten-fifteen in the morning. She groaned; after dinner the night before, Shelton had talked her into some videogaming. Celina had agreed to it, and he had obliterated her routinely in every game that they had played until about three in the morning, when she slumped her way up the stairs, hardly able to keep her eyelids open, leaving Shelton alone to play season mode by himself. Celina had been out as soon as she had hit the pillow, but her sleep still felt incredibly short. She wondered if Shelton was awake. She doubted it. He didn't even seem tired at three AM. She assumed it was the schedule he led as a WWE Superstar.

She sat up, remembering Mark and Michelle were going to be arriving soon. She was pretty sure that the car pulling into the driveway had to be them. Mark had left yesterday morning, and knowing the way he drove, it was probably him, and he was probably dead exhausted from the long drive. She threw the covers back and swung her long legs over the side, into the sitting position. She knew she had to hurry and get ready. They would be in the house in minutes. She wanted to make a good impression on Michelle. She rushed over to the dresser and quickly dressed herself in a pair of blue jeans and a black spaghetti-strapped flowing top. She was running like a chicken with her head cut off, quickly dragging a brush through her hair and applying gloss to her lips.

She heard the front door open downstairs and she rushed out of the bedroom door. She heard Mark's booming voice from down the stairs. "Celina, we're here!"

She burst down the stairs. "Mark!" she exclaimed, excited. Even though it had been a couple days since she had seen him, it still felt like forever to her. She gave him a gigantic hug. Michelle cocked an eyebrow, and Mark just laughed. "That was fast. You always did drive like a maniac," she told him. She released the hug and took her spot back on the floor. She looked at the blonde who was shooting her an odd look. "So, Mark, you going to introduce me to your little friend?" Mark smirked as he noticed the indignant expression on her face.

"Ah, yeah," he said with a smirk, "Celina, Michelle. Michelle, Celina." They shook hands, offering curt hellos to one another. "So where's Shelton?" he asked her.

"Still asleep, I assume," Celina replied. "He videogamed all night."

"You didn't join him?"

"I did, but I stopped at three in the morning." Mark laughed and she made her way towards the kitchen. "Did you guys eat breakfast?"

"To be honest, we haven't stopped anywhere since last night," Mark answered. Michelle was oddly silent. Celina flashed him a smile.

"Well, I'll make you guys something for breakfast," she said. "Mark, you want to play a really good prank on Goldilocks?"

"Goldilocks?"

"Shelton." Michelle's answer was terse, short. She even understood. Mark cocked an eyebrow at Celina and nodded.

"Sure."

"How about you go wake him up for me?" she said. Mark smirked. He knew exactly how to do it. He disappeared up the stairs and Michelle followed Celina into the kitchen. Celina tied an apron around her waist and she started gathering what was needed to make pancakes. Michelle stood on the other side of the counter lamely.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Um, there's strawberries in the fridge, if I can get you to cut some of them up." Michelle nodded and Celina pulled a paring knife out of a nearby drawer for her. She reached into a cupboard and handed her a bowl. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Finally, Michelle broke it.

"So, did you and Mark ever date?" Michelle asked, opening up the carton of strawberries. Celina's eyes perked up, taken aback.

"You don't waste time, do you?" Celina asked with a chuckle. Michelle wasn't laughing. Celina shook her head. "Oh, Jesus, take a breath. Mark and I never dated. Never have, never will. We're not into each other like that."

"So, what's it like?" Michelle asked, cutting strawberries.

"Think like brother and sister." They heard a loud shout from upstairs. Michelle and Celina's face crumpled up, their eyes going to gaze into the living room. "What the hell is he doing up there?"

"I have no idea...it's probably better not to ask," Michelle answered. Celina nodded and began to mix the batter.

They fell into a silence. Celina could tell Michelle was something of a jealous person. She figured that Mark would have explained things to Michelle, especially because they had always been so close. She shrugged it off. She was probably thrown off by the hug. Celina wasn't about to let it bother her. When it came to the things she did, Celina was pretty unapologetic. She'd learned that years ago when she had started her life alone. There was never time for regrets. If someone hated her, it wasn't going to cost her any sleep. She had to keep doing what she was doing.

Several minutes later, Shelton staggered into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of drawstring pajama pants and a black muscle shirt. He ran a hand over his head. "Can't you control your boyfriend, Michelle?" he grumbled. He stalked past Celina and searched the cupboards for coffee.

"It's in the freezer, Shelton," Celina told him, her tone soft. He nodded, wiping the excess sleep from his eyes and he began to set about making coffee.

"We heard you shout," Celina replied. "What happened?"

Mark stalked into the kitchen, a demonic smile on his face. "What the hell did you do, Mark?" Celina inquired.

"I did as you asked - I woke him up."

"Yeah, by kicking down my bedroom door like a fucking madman!" Shelton snapped. Celina and Michelle couldn't help it; they made eye contact and started laughing. "It's not funny," Shelton snapped, "He scared the shit out of me!"

"Woke you up, didn't I?" Mark inquired. Shelton shook his head, chuckling. "Anything I can help you with, Celina?"

"Um, maybe you can set the table," she answered. Shelton nodded and brushed past her to gather some plates and glasses. Celina grabbed a giant plate and began to put the finished pancakes on the plate. Michelle finished cutting the strawberries and put them on the table. She took her place beside Mark. Celina could tell there was something possessive about the way she was sitting beside him, her hand on his arm. Celina just shook her head; there was something strange about Michelle McCool.

"I need to talk to you about something, Celina," Mark told her, standing to his feet and taking his place where Michelle once stood.

"Oh yeah? Can you tell me now? Or is it something in private?" she asked. Shelton stalked over to the table and sat down across from Michelle. The coffee would be ready in a few minutes and Shelton was looking forward to chugging it from the pot. He just wasn't ready to be awake.

"Well, the good news is I talked to Vince about you coming on the road with us."

"Oh yeah?" she inquired. "What'd he say?"

"He's cool with it." She stared into his green eyes. A smirk tugged at her lips. He couldn't help it; it was only moments before he returned the smirk with a smile.

"I know you. There's a little bit more to it. What's up?"

"Vince wants to put you on TV."

"Are you serious?" she asked. He nodded.

"He wants to bring you in to counteract with Vickie Guerrero," he told her. "He said he wanted to bring in a new Diva for it."

She shook her head; it was surprising. "Wow, Mark, I don't know what to say to that."

"Maybe you should think about it," Michelle told her. Shelton shot her an odd glance, but Mark didn't seem to notice.

"Nonsense. Come on, Celina, it would be great."

"Mark, have you forgotten that I don't know how to wrestle?"

"You've dated one; I'm sure you can pick it up."

"Now isn't the time to be bringing up Reid, Mark." He nodded. He stepped over the line. He raised his hands in mock surrender, admitting to stepping over the line with his remark.

"Okay. Out of line. Sorry. But come on, Celina. Worse comes to worse, I'll help you, but you won't really need to until Vickie steps into the ring. And that's not going to happen for a little while." He nudged at her shoulder with a fist. "Come on, you know you want to."

She smirked. "I guess I don't see anything wrong with giving it a shot."

"Yes!" Mark couldn't contain the excitement in his tone.

"So who else would I be on TV with?" she inquired, flipping a pancake.

"Glen."

"That helps me a lot. What's the ring name?"

"Kane." He stared at her as though she had four heads. "Who else would they stick me with?"

"Oh, good grief, Mark, you never know." Her tone was exasperated. "Now grab the whipped cream and the syrup out of the fridge and stick them on the table." He smirked and turned to the fridge. "Oh, and the orange juice." Mark grumbled, but maneuvered enough to grab everything. Michelle stood and took the orange juice from him and he set everything else down on the table. With a wide smile, Celina placed the plate of pancakes in front of them and they all sat down to eat.


	8. Green With Envy

**Eight**

The day had been eventful after breakfast; Michelle, Mark and Shelton had driven off to go find a gym to work out at while Celina stayed behind and cleaned up around the house. Mark was surprised that she didn't want to go, but she wasn't stupid. She was pretty sure that Mark wasn't an idiot, either. She knew that her presence was only going to bring out the ugly side in Michelle. She had been unbelievably catty during breakfast, enough for Shelton to make a subtle comment to shut her up. Celina was uncomfortable with Michelle's attitude; she didn't want to mess up Mark's relationship. But there was something about Michelle she couldn't put her finger on. Especially because this was their first meeting.

She had turned on her music, a little bit of Killswitch Engage, and worked at cleaning up the house a little bit. She liked the alone time. She was also finding she enjoyed the time she was having with Shelton. She couldn't imagine how such a nice guy like him could wind up with somebody like his ex. He was subtle, down-to-Earth, and went out of his way to help her out around the house. He hadn't really said much to her about Alexa, and she hadn't told him all that much about Reid, but there was a level of comfort there that she felt, and it made her feel better in her time of despair.

Later that night, after dinner, when Mark and Michelle went to take a private walk, Celina sat down on the couch, dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, a mug of hot chocolate clutched in her hands. Her hair was in stubby pigtails, her feet were adorned with pink slippers.

Shelton entered the room, cleaned up from his workout, dressed in his pajamas. He sat down beside her. He looked exhausted. "Did you want me to get you a hot chocolate..." she went to sit up, but he held out a hand and made her sit back on the couch.

"I'm good. You don't need to keep running around here like you're Carol Brady." She nodded and they fell into silence for what seemed like an eternity, but was only moments. His head rolled to the side and faced her. "What you can do for me, though, is tell me though is what's up with Michelle?"

"What do you mean?"

"Celina, I know that you noticed Michelle's attitude. It was fucked up. Especially for a first meeting." Celina contemplated a good answer. She shrugged.

"She thought Mark and I were fucking or something. If that's what she thought, I'd hate to imagine what she thought when he came to get me." Shelton laughed.

"She thought that about you and Mark?"

"Probably the way I jumped on him this morning," Celina confessed. "I was so happy to see him that I acted like a starstruck teenager." Shelton laughed. "So you noticed it too, huh?"

"Unless Mark is oblivious, I think everyone noticed. She was pretty quick to discourage you from coming on the road with us. And she was definitely over the line at breakfast."

"I know. What was up with that?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Mark and I have had a lot of years to pursue something, and we never have. I'd rather not, either. He's my friend, and I wouldn't trade that in for anything in the world. Anyway...God...it's Mark."

Shelton nodded with a laugh. "I know. Michelle's a little iffy, though. With everything with Sara, I guess a girl like her is bound to be paranoid."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, did she tell you anything about that?"

"No. I didn't expect her to, either. What's up?" Shelton checked around for any sign of them and he readjusted himself on the couch.

"Michelle is a little possessive because she kind of weaseled her way into Mark's life. Her story is that they were both going through a divorce and he was helping her train and it happened. The truth is, Mark got divorced, he was a little vulnerable, a little lonely, and this is practically a rebound."

"Mark?" The idea of Mark rebounding, let alone being vulnerable enough to go on the rebound seemed foreign to her. He was a tough guy. Nothing bothered him. He was like an impenetrable fortress.

"He probably could have worked things out with Sara. Probably still could. But Michelle has her claws in him tight." She laughed. "I'm serious. You're going to need to watch out with Mark, because she'll start something if she thinks for two seconds that he could be attracted to you."

"Thanks for the warning," Celina replied. Her eyebrow arched. "How did you notice this?"

"She catches a lot of flack for the Divas because of it. Mark's pretty aware of it, too. He won't do a whole hell of a lot to boost her career. She has to do it on her own. He'd rather her do it on her own than be credited to him. But a lot of the SmackDown Divas are pretty iffy with her."

Celina nodded; that made sense. The door opened and they looked over to see Michelle storm up the stairs and Mark standing at the door, exasperated. Celina placed her cocoa down on the table and made her way over to Mark. "Did I miss something? Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. Something's just eating Michelle," he grumbled. Celina's eyes flashed concern.

"It's not because of me, is it?"

Mark looked at her. He couldn't lie to her. Her eyes softened on his. "She'll come around, Mark," she assured him.

"I don't know what the hell's come over her, Celina," he told her, exasperated. "I told her all about you ages ago." Celina was silent.

"I'm not even really sure what to tell you, Mark. Whatever's eating her, she'll get over it. She kind of has to." Mark nodded. He stalked past her into the kitchen. She stole a glance at Shelton, who shrugged helplessly from his spot on the couch. She took a deep breath and went into the kitchen to talk to him.


	9. Late Night Company

**Nine**

Shelton was seated on the couch in front of the TV screen late that night after everyone had gone to bed. It was his alone time, and he relished it. It was his time to mindlessly think about everything that had happened during the day, good and bad. Alexa had tried calling him back after dinner, but he had just shut off his ringer and left it on the nightstand. The time for talking with her was over; he wished that she'd get the hint. Lord knows he wasn't exactly being subtle with her either. She just had selective hearing. He just hoped she would get her things and get out before he had to involve the police. It was such a ridiculous situation.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. His head turned to see Celina make her way into the living room, her frame draped in a white terrycloth housecoat. He cocked an eyebrow; she had only gone to bed about forty-five minutes before. "Didn't you just go to bed?" he asked. She nodded.

"I can't sleep," she replied, making her way over to the couch and sitting down. He was watching Jimmy Kimmel.

"Oh?"

"Let's just leave it at that, Shelton. I'm already traumatized." He thought about it for a second; he quickly understood what she meant and started laughing. She shook her head.

"Michelle's really going out of her way to prove her point, huh?"

"There was a point? What the hell am I missing?" she asked. They both laughed. They fell silent for a few minutes, and she ran a hand over her head. It was obvious she was exhausted; she just didn't want to hear what was going on between the two. She stood. "I'm going to make a tea. You want one?"

"Sure. Can I help you with anything?"

"Nah, I should be fine. I'll pop some popcorn, too." He nodded. He always felt so useless when she went off and did things on her own, but he knew better than to intrude. She seemed to take great solace in working in the kitchen. "What do you take?"

"Two sugars."

"Milk?"

"No." She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. He settled back into a comfortable position on the couch and continued to watch his show. A few minutes later, he heard the kettle whistling and heard her move around taking mugs out of the cupboard. Celina returned to the living room several minutes later. Shelton jumped to his feet and took the mugs from her as she went into the kitchen to retrieve the popcorn.

She returned and they sat down together. Celina sipped her tea and they sat in silence for a few minutes. "So...do you watch Kimmel often?"

"Nah. I'm usually a Leno fan, but tonight's a rerun," he informed her. She nodded. His phone on the coffee table started ringing again. He took a look at the caller ID. He was incredulous. It was almost midnight.

"Have you ever thought about changing your cell number?" Celina asked. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Well, Alexa sure seems to be blowing up your phone." He laughed.

"She'll tire herself out," he told her. "It's that she wants what she can't have sort of thing." Celina nodded at the idea. She knew a lot of women like that.

"So how did you meet her?"

"I met her in a club in Colombia, South Carolina," he told her. "It was a night off, before I flew back out to a show. She was there, like an angel in the strobe lights." She laughed. "Cheesy, I know, but that's what it was like. It was like a thunderbolt had hit me. I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world."

"So what went wrong?"

"She was a bitch." Celina laughed, Shelton shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell you, Celina. She sunk her claws in; and she was possessive, jealous, abusive. She accused me of sleeping with one of the Divas. She almost got into a fist fight with Beth Phoenix." Celina's face was blank. "She's a bigger blonde woman."

"That Glamazon woman?"

"Yeah."

"Dear God, did she have a death wish or something?" she asked. Shelton nodded. His head cocked towards the stairs.

"She even got on Mark and Michelle's bad side. He really gave her whatfor. I think that was the last time I took her out on the road with me." Celina held up a hand for him to become silent.

"Don't say that - I'm starting to think that if she's on Michelle's bad side, she might not be that bad." Shelton chuckled, prompting a smile to cross Celina's face. She couldn't believe this Alexa woman. "Did she seriously accuse you of sleeping with another Diva?"

He nodded. "A married Diva, no less." He took a sip of tea. "So, how'd you meet your ex?"

"Reid? I met him up in North Carolina. I was working there," she said, being careful not to tell him about what she used to do, "And he was there with a few of the guys."

"Was Ric there?"

"Yes, and no, he wasn't wearing his robe." Shelton laughed. "Reid told me a lot of stories he'd heard...his father is a madman." He nodded.

"You have no idea," he replied, placing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. She laughed. He stared at her oddly. "What?"

"The popcorn matches your hair color," she mused. His face scrunched up and he threw a kernel at her. "Hey!"

"Don't tell me you've never been blonde," he told her.

"Hell no! I'm a happy brunette," she said. "I wouldn't go blonde if you paid me. I guess we can't say the same for you."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You don't like the blond," he told her. "Unfortunately for you, though, Miss Celina, it's going to be staying for a while." She smirked.

"Better you than me." He threw more popcorn at her. "Cut that shit out, man!" she said with a laugh.

"What are you going to do? You going to rag on my hair some more?" he taunted, throwing more at her.

"I'm going to kick your ass..." she stood up, shaking popcorn out of her robe. She kicked Shelton as hard as she could in the shin.

"Ow!" he yelped. Even for her bare feet, it was a hard kick. "What the hell was that for?"

"For throwing popcorn, jackass," she murmured, sitting down. He gave up throwing popcorn at her, knowing it had to be cleaned up in the morning. They sat in silence, sipping on their tea and eating some popcorn. The Jimmy Kimmel show finished and Shelton began flipping through the channels looking for something new to watch. He found an encore presentation of an action movie that was cut to shreds. The two of them fell silent, munching on popcorn and sipping on their tea. As the time wore on, Celina found herself becoming more and more exhausted. Halfway through the movie, Celina finally fell asleep, her head leaned against the couch. Shelton noticed; he was about to go to bed. He contemplated whether or not he should wake her up. She looked so peaceful that he decided against it. Grabbing a white knitted blanket draped over the back of the couch, he draped it over her frame, shutting off the TV before he made his way up the stairs. He stole a glance back at her. He wondered if he should leave her on the couch. He shrugged it off and made his way up the stairs. He didn't want to wake her.


	10. Good Morning, Starshine

**Ten**

Celina awakened on the couch, the white blanket falling down around her waist. Her neck kind of hurt from the position she had slept in for the last several hours and she leaned forward, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand, attempting to work the tension out. It wasn't really working all that well. She looked beside her. There was nobody there, and some popcorn pieces scattered around the cushions and the floor. She looked out the front window and saw the day was overcast, the sun trapped behind steel grey clouds. She wondered what time it was; she wasn't even sure when she had fallen asleep. She smiled softly; Shelton must have covered her up before going to bed. How thoughtful.

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and she stood to her feet quickly. She turned her head to see Mark making his way into the living room area. He flashed her a slight smile. "Morning, Celina," he murmured. He was walking with a bit of a limp.

"What's wrong?" she asked, motioning to his knee.

"Just typical morning pains. It'll fade off," he replied. She nodded and went into the kitchen. He followed behind her. "Can I help you with anything?"

"You can keep me company."

"Do you always do everything on your own?"

"I like my space in the kitchen." He nodded and sat down at the table.

"Did you fall asleep in the living room last night?" he asked. She nodded.

"I must have. The last thing I remember, I was watching a movie with Shelton on the couch."

"Well, it was nice that he covered you up," he mused.

"I'm assuming everything's okay with Michelle now," she observed, going to the fridge for eggs. Mark shrugged.

"Who knows? I don't even try to pretend like I know what the fuck's on a woman's mind." She nodded.

"Sometimes, it's better that way." He laughed and she began to work at making breakfast. "Everyone still asleep?"

"I heard Shelton in the shower," Mark told her. "Michelle's kind of half-awake."

"Oh, okay."

"We're off on the road tomorrow. Are you nervous at all?"

"Of course I am. I hope they like me."

"They will," he assured her.

"So what's Glen like?"

"Glen's...well, Glen, I guess. I don't know how the hell else to describe him." She nodded. She hardly expected Mark to give her a full rundown about him, but she did want to know what she was getting into. "You'll be fine with the two of us. Just keep your nose to the ground for the first little bit." She nodded; she understood. She was coming in as a friend of Mark's. There was bound to be some resentment there. But she knew so long as the other Divas didn't fuck with her, there wouldn't be a problem. She was pretty sure Michelle wasn't getting that message.

"Does everyone have a game plan for me?" Celina inquired.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how am I coming in? Am I supposed to be like some long-lost sister or something?"

"To be honest, Celina, I'm not too sure," he told her. "It's whatever the writers have in store." She nodded and they fell into a silence as she gathered the pots and pans to start making breakfast.

Shelton made his way into the kitchen a few minutes later. Mark was getting himself a cup of coffee. "You want one, Shelton?"

"Please," he mumbled, sauntering over to the counter. Despite the shower, he still looked half-asleep. Mark handed him a cup and poured one for himself.

"Oh, Shelton, you don't look so good," Celina teased, "That night owl shit has got to stop."

"Hey - I didn't see you complaining while we were watching Kimmel."

"Kimmel?" Mark's face scrunched up in distaste. He had done an appearance on the show once before SummerSlam 2003, but he wasn't really a huge fan. "I thought you were a Leno man, Shelton."

"Rerun."

"Ah." Mark took a sip of coffee.

"So what's the plan today?" Shelton inquired, running a hand over his head.

"I thought we'd go play some pool tonight," Mark told them. "I'd like to take advantage of my last day off for the next four days. And you, Celina, can't get out of this one. You're coming with us."

"I didn't say I wasn't," she told him. "Shelton, can you grab the hash browns out of the freezer?" With a slight groan, he stood to his feet and dragged himself over to the freezer. "It's your own fault, Benjamin." He flashed her the middle finger and she and Mark laughed. He tossed the bag onto the counter and made his way back to the chair.

"Maybe you should take a nap today," Mark told him. Shelton shook his head.

"I'll be all right. Just need to drink some more coffee."

Michelle entered the kitchen, dressed in a black miniskirt and a black studded bustier under a cropped white jacket. Her hair was brushed into a stylish ponytail and she wore little makeup, with the exception of some mascara and lip gloss. Mark's eyes perked up. Shelton and Celina traded a roll of the eyes and she bit her lip to contain the laughter that threatened to overtake her.

Michelle stared at Celina. "Not dressed yet?"

"After breakfast. I'm in no rush," she said. Shelton smirked into his coffee mug as he took a sip. Michelle nodded, knowing better than to make issue with Celina in front of Mark and Shelton. Yesterday at breakfast, Shelton had vaguely put her in her place. Mark didn't catch onto it, but she sure did. She didn't understand why everyone loved Celina so much.

"Are you traveling with us to the tapings?" Michelle asked. Celina shrugged.

"I'm not too sure what the plan is."

"If you want, Celina, you can travel with me...if that's okay with you two." Shelton stood and went to retrieve himself another cup of coffee.

"Well..." Mark began, but Michelle cut him off.

"I think it's a fantastic idea. It gives Celina the chance to get to know some of the other athletes." Celina shot her a glance. _Wow...is she desperate or what? _She shook her head with a smirk and went back to setting up breakfast.

"Then it's settled. Celina and Shelton can meet us both at the arena." The show was in Atlanta, which was a fair distance away. They would have to leave at dawn the following morning to make it to the arena in time for the tapings. She wondered if Shelton would be able to survive a car ride with her for so long. She shrugged; he seemed to be doing fine in the house with her. She caught eyes with Shelton, who winked at her.

"Bet you guys Celina and I will make it there first," he said. Mark laughed.

"Don't start writing checks your ass can't cash, boy," Mark threatened. Shelton held out his hand.

"I will bet you we make it there before you." Mark took a deep breath and shook his hand. By the look on Shelton's face, one would have thought Mark had broken his hand.

"You're on." Celina smiled and handed out plates to everyone. They sat down to eat breakfast and talked about all the arrangements that had to be made. Mark told Celina to take it easy; he'd handle her hotel reservations for the first shot. She nodded. She appreciated it; she had no idea just what in the world she needed to do to be a WWE Diva.

She could already start to feel her nerves shake. What if this was a bad idea? What if she just washed out as a Diva? She stole a glance at Michelle across the table. Michelle glared back at her. She knew that things in the backstage area were going to be a little more than difficult with Michelle McCool at the helm.


	11. Early Morning Rollout

**Eleven**

"Celina...Celina, wake up."

Celina rolled over in her bed to see Shelton's face staring over her. He was already dressed in a red button-down shirt and slacks. Her head arched up as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Shelton?" she murmured. She looked over at the clock. It was five in the morning. "What the...?"

"Come on," he told her. "We're gonna get a move on so we can get you settled in at the arena." She nodded and with a slight groan and some hesitation, she got herself out of bed. Shelton had already loaded his things in the car, having been up for about fifteen minutes already. "I'll wait for you downstairs," he told her softly. She nodded and she quickly began to get herself dressed. She knew they had a dress code over at the WWE, so she put on her black sundress, cramming her pajamas and her robe into the duffel bag. Zipping it shut and slinging it over her shoulder, she made her way down the stairs to the front door. Shelton smiled at her dazed appearance; she was exhausted; there was just no hiding it.

"What about breakfast?" she asked.

"We'll stop off somewhere for it," he told her. "Lord knows you've done too much cooking around here anyway. Come on." She nodded and they left the house, Shelton locking it up behind him. The air was still crisp, the sky still a rich cobalt, blending pink and orange in the distance. He unlocked the doors with the press of a button on his keychain. Figuring it was too much work to wait for Shelton to pop the trunk, Celina just decided to throw her duffel bag into the backseat. Shelton opted to do the same. Taking their seats together, and slamming the doors, Shelton started the car and they began their journey to Atlanta.

Her head was nodding against the glass. He smirked. "We'll stop at a Krispy Kreme's and get you a coffee, okay?" She nodded.

"I could sure use one," she murmured. They fell silent. "Shelton?"

'Yeah?"

"You aren't dragging my ass out here at dawn to beat Mark, are you?"

Shelton chuckled, but he didn't answer right away. She hit him in the arm and he laughed. "Man, you caught me."

"Mark isn't going to admit defeat, you know that right?" she murmured, shaking her head. "He's just going to tell you that you cheated because you dragged my ass out at five in the morning."

"I'll take a victory over the Dead Man anyway I can get it," he informed her. She chuckled softly.

"True enough," she said. She remembered those days when she was competitive with Mark. When they worked together, it was always about who could get their job done faster. She enjoyed the comraderie. "So, is Michelle always like that?"

"Nah. She probably sees you as a threat."

"Yeah, cause I'm so frightening. Come on, Mark doesn't look at me like that. He never has."

"Did you ever want him to look at you the way he does Michelle?" She stopped for a second, contemplating the answer.

"I did, but that was such a long time ago. When we were in school. Before he started crucifying opponents and striking people with lightning." Shelton laughed. "It was just one of those things where you think you're in love, but it's just an initial infatuation. It faded off pretty fast. You know that feeling, right?"

"Somewhat. But I haven't been like that for a lot of years." They fell into silence and she stared out at the roads, at the passing trees. The roads were somewhat empty.

"Tell me a story."

"What kind of a story?"

"Something about your travels on the road."

"You really want to know?"

"Well, we are traveling together, aren't we?"

"Okay. But whatever I tell you, you're not allowed to think differently of me. Promise?"

"Okay. Now talk." Shelton smirked.

"There was this one time; we were doing an annual Tribute to the Troops show, and we were flying over to Baghdad. Now, there's a rule that you just don't fall asleep on a flight."

"Why?"

"Cause the veterans will do shit to you when you pass out," Shelton replied. "And it's no fun having waking up with everyone laughing at you. Anyway, I was tag teaming with a guy named Charlie Haas at the beginning of my WWE career, and on the way over there, he fell asleep on the plane. So, Kurt Angle decided to have a little bit of fun with him. He kept brushing his fingers over Charlie's face so that Charlie would start slapping himself. Then he'd sit back in his seat with a few of the guys and laugh his ass off. Charlie would wake up and get pissed at me.

"So, Charlie manages to fall back asleep, and he's like, out. Like bang a gong in his ear, and he won't respond. I know that if Charlie wakes up and I'm still beside him, I'm going to be in a lot of shit. So I trade places with Matt Hardy, which means I signed Charlie's death sentence right there."

"Why?"

"Matt Hardy is the fucking _worst _when it comes to airplane pranks. Anyway, Kurt says something to Matt and Matt gets this evil smile. I'm sitting with John Cena at that point, telling him that it's better Charlie wakes up and kills Matt for doing whatever instead of waking up and killing me. But he and I are still watching it like a trainwreck waiting to happen.

"So Charlie wakes up just before we're going to land. And there's soldiers and press outside to welcome the WWE for their first ever Tribute to the Troops show. Unbeknownst to Charlie, he has the word 'Cockshiner' written across his forehead." Celina started laughing. "It's the oldest trick in the book, but the military - along with Vince and about half of the roster, were just pissing themselves laughing because he had no idea." He pulled up to a Krispy Kreme and ordered coffee and donuts at the drive through. They pulled ahead and he retrieved everything, handing it to Celina before paying for breakfast. They drove off as Celina put the coffee in a cup holder. She began to sip on hers.

"So do you guys torture each other all the time?"

"Nah. We kinda bust the balls of the new guys. Break them in a little bit. Three hundred days on the road with these guys, you kind of have to find something to do with the time. Most of them you can have fun with, but there's some that you just don't fuck with."

"Like who?"

"Well, Mark for one." Celina laughed. "Um, Hunter, Shawn, Bradshaw, Hardcore. He's the one that will whallop your ass and not feel a thing about it. Just ask Rene Dupree."

"What happened to him?"

"He fucked something up with Hardcore; I think it was over a rental car or something. Anyway, that night at the Velocity tapings, Hardcore physically beat him for real. Swelled his eye shut."

"That's awful."

"That's not the worst part - creative made up the story that his eye was swollen shut because of this poodle he used to walk to the ring with." Celina laughed.

"They didn't."

"They did, unfortunately," he replied. She handed him a glazed donut. "I guess they kind of sided with Bob on the issue, but they definitely didn't agree with the way he went about things. The most important rule in wrestling is that you never, ever in a million years lay your hands on your opponent. Because we're flying around and bumping around so much, we need to trust our opponents. If we don't trust our opponents, then our matches are shit. Regardless of whether or not we like them or we hate them, we don't take liberties with them. It's just unprofessional." She nodded. She knew that there was going to be a lot she was about to learn working for the WWE.

He sensed her apprehension. "Take it easy. The Divas are pretty nice. Michelle's just got a bug up her ass about something. It'll pass. The other SmackDown - and even ECW girls - are great. You'll probably get along great with Cherry...her first name is Kara, just to let you know. You should be good with Victoria... her name's Lisa. She may look scary, but she's a great girl. You'll learn a whole hell of a lot from her. She's been around for about six, seven years now."

"What's Kane like?"

"Glen? Ah, he's a big teddy bear. Not half as intimidating as Mark." She laughed. "He'll guide you along, too. You'll be fine. The guys will help you, and most of the women will too. You just be careful around Michelle. She doesn't seem to like you."

"Tell me about it. I'm wondering if it would be better that I was his ex-girlfriend or something." Shelton laughed.

"I wouldn't let her get to you, Celina. You're a sweet girl. Great cook, too."

"Oh yeah. I'm sure a batch of cookies is really going to win over Michelle." She dug into the box and pulled out a Boston creme donut.

"If it's any consolation, one of these days she might have to put you over." Celina laughed at the thought.

"I think she'd rather die before that happened." Shelton smirked.

"That may be the case, but what the bosses and bookers say goes. Just take solace in that. From what I heard, she's been pushing to manage Mark for sometime."

"Really?" she asked. He nodded. "Why hasn't that happened?"

"She's not goth enough. She just doesn't click with the image. Maybe if Taker was doing his biker thing. But the All-American Diva doesn't fit the dark image enough."

"What makes anyone thing that I can?" she inquired. "I don't even know what the hell the job entails." He smiled.

"You'll do fine. Just take it easy." She nodded.

"Thank you for putting up with me in the last few days."

"It's not putting up with you," he told her, giving her a nudge in the arm. "I can understand why Mark loves you so much."

She stared at him, eyebrow cocked. "Thanks," she answered. They fell into a silence and she leaned forward to turn on the radio. The sun was starting to rise, the sky fading from a cobalt color to a lighter shade of blue. She smiled; she had the feeling that today was going to be a good day.


	12. Welcome to the Jungle

**Twelve**

Celina stood awkwardly behind Shelton as he led her into the arena. They walked past a few of the security guys who offered chipper greetings and he led her down the hallway to the Divas locker room. She looked incredibly nervous; her blue eyes darting around the arena in hopes of seeing some kind of a familiar face, knowing that it was a stretch to know anyone other than Mark, Shelton and Michelle.

"Just take it easy, Celina," he told her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He could feel her trembling under his grip because of her nerves. "You'll be fine. Just stay in here. I'll let Vince know that you're here and he can come track you down, okay?" She nodded. "Take it easy - the girls will like you. I'll try to make it back to you after the show. Good luck out there tonight." She nodded and he opened the door. He gave her a pat on the shoulder before taking off down the hallway.

Celina turned to come face-to-face with a raven-haired woman. There were red streaks in her chin-length hair, and she was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black knitted tank top. "Can I help you?" she inquired, looking befuddled by Celina's apperance.

"I'm...not sure. I'm supposed to be here with Mark..."

"Ah, Glen told me about you," the woman replied with a smile. "Celina, right?" She nodded. "I'm Lisa. You'll come to know me as Victoria. Come on in; I'll introduce you to some of the other girls." Celina entered the room and Lisa closed the door behind her. "Ladies, new blood!" she shouted. Every girl in the room turned to face her. Celina started laughing, feeling the blush crawl up her neck to her cheeks.

"That wasn't nerve-wracking at all," Celina replied. Lisa laughed.

"Guys, this is going to be Mark and Glen's new manager, Celina. Celina, meet the Divas. Since you're friends with Mark, I'm going to assume you met Michelle."

"Oh yeah." Her tone was flat. Lisa cocked an eyebrow.

"That bad?"

"Would have taken two of me to be worse." Lisa laughed.

"She's insecure. Diva Search thing. I wouldn't worry about it too much." She smiled. "Tonight is a lucky night for you because all the Divas are here to do a spot." She turned her attention to the girls. "Ladies, come introduce yourself to Celina."

A muscular blonde woman stepped up to her, dressed in a black corset top and black pants, white boots covering the pant legs with a white cropped jacket. Her blonde hair was down around her face. She was a pretty girl, Celina thought. "I'm Nattie Neidhart," she told her, extending her hand. "I wrestle under the name Natalya."

"Hi, Nattie," Celina replied. "Your last name sounds kind of familiar."

"I'm from a wrestling family," she replied. "Bret Hart is my uncle." Celina nodded.

"Ah, okay," she answered. Another Diva stepped up, another blonde. Dressed in a vinyl blue bustier with matching tights cut up around the leg.

"I'm Barbie," she said. They both started laughing. "I wrestle under the name Kelly Kelly for ECW. Welcome to the jungle."

"Thanks," she answered with a laugh. "So do you guys tape everything together?"

"No," a brunette said from the back of the room. She was dressed in a red shirt tied up at the torso and a pair of blue jeans with heeled sandals. "Most of us girls work on Mondays, but they've been really weird with the brand extension. I work on Raw, and so does Jillian over there, Beth Phoenix, Maria, Melina and Ashley."

"And you are...?"

"Oh," Mickie said sheepishly, stepping forward. "I'm Mickie James, the Women's Champion." She noticed the look on Celina's face. "Just relax, Celina. Everything will be fine. You just have to relax."

"Oh yeah," Melina, dressed in a black miniskirt and a blue halter top, replied, stepping forward. Her black hair was styled around her face in soft waves. Her smile was warm. "Opening night jitters will pass very quickly, Celina."

"But I'm not even trained to do anything."

"You don't have any wrestling experience?" Lisa inquired. Celina felt her stomach knot up. This was where they were going to hate her now.

Instead, Lisa gave her a slap on the arm. "You ever need any help with anything like that, come to us. Nattie, Mickie and I will give you a few pointers. Has Mark offered to help?"

"Yeah, but I don't really want to be a bother..." Celina trailed off. Beth was the most intimidating woman she had ever seen.

"No bother. We're all here to help."

"You guys don't hate me at all for coming in as a friend of Mark's with no training whatsoever?"

"Who are we to judge?" Maria asked. She was dressed in a leopard print bodysuit with a black cropped jacket. She was a pretty young girl, with amazing eyes. They really stood out to Celina. "Michelle and I, we came in with the Diva Search. Same with Melina, Layla, Ashley. We pick it up as we go along." Celina nodded.

"You don't think I'm just here because Mark pulled strings?"

"We know you're here because Mark pulled some strings," Melina told her. "But it's not a big deal. It's not like your fucking him to get some TV time."

"Wow...that was veiled," Celina commented. Melina laughed.

"She's kind of gotten a big head lately...and she's been really insecure about you since you called Mark."

"I know. She seems to have this idea that I'm fucking him or something," Celina replied. "I just...no." The girls all laughed.

"So what is the deal with you and Mark then?" Ashley asked. She was dressed in a vinyl corset with a matching miniskirt, a peek of polka dot bra poking through. She had pink fishnet run along her chest and down her arms. Her hair was about Victoria's length, straighter, streaked with black and pink. She looked kind of grungy, but who was Celina to judge?

"We knew each other back in high school."

"You knew Mark before he was the Dead Man?" Mickie inquired. She nodded. "What was he like?"

"He hasn't changed all that much...I'm not sure how he is back here."

"Intimidating." Barbie's voice rang out clear into the locker room and everybody started to laugh. Celina's judgment was still clouded by the Mark she always remembered. It was difficult for her to see him as intimidating. She was always just so comfortable around him.

"Nah. He's a teddy bear. You just have to get to know him a bit," Celina replied. "He's a very wise guy."

There was a knock on the door and Nattie went to answer it. Stephanie McMahon entered the room, dressed in a black V-necked sweater and a long black skirt. Her pregnant belly was very visible under the sweater. Celina thought she was a pretty girl, with long brown hair and giant eyes. Stephanie's face curled into a smile.

"Celina?"

"Yeah?"

"Hi, Celina, I'm Stephanie McMahon. My dad sent me in here to come get you." She nodded.

"I'll be back," Celina told them.

"No problem," Lisa said. "We'd love to get to know you a bit." Celina nodded and followed Stephanie out.

"Where's Mark?" Stephanie asked as Celina followed her down the hall.

"I came with Shelton. He and Michelle are running behind us."

"How far behind?"

"Not too sure. Shelton and I left at dawn and they still weren't awake." Stephanie nodded. She wasn't worried either way; Mark had been a loyal, reliable employee for the last eighteen years. He'd be there.

Vince McMahon was sitting in his makeshift office with his son Shane when Stephanie walked in with Celina. "Ah, Celina," he said, standing to his feet. He extended his hand to her and she shook it. She was intimidated. He sensed it. "Relax. Where's Mark?"

"He's on his way with Michelle," Stephanie answered. Celina shot her a grateful look.

Vince cocked an eyebrow. "Why didn't you travel with them?"

"Um...Michelle said it was better I traveled with Shelton because I needed to get to know people," Celina answered. Stephanie shot Vince a look; they weren't stupid. Vince cleared his throat.

"How was your trip with Shelton?" Vince inquired.

"Great," she answered. "He's a pretty cool guy."

"One of the best athletes we have here," Vince replied. "Please, have a seat." Celina took her seat next to Shane who flashed her a reassuring smile. "Tonight we're going to do an angle where you scare the hell out of Vickie Guerrero. Now, it's going to be the last segment of the night so we can build up some major hype around you. So what's going to happen is Edge, Chavo Guerrero and their cronies will be out in the ring, running their mouths about some bullshit thing or whatever. Vickie will come out to give her 'Familia' what they want. The gong will hit, the lights will fade and Taker and Kane will pop up behind them. Now, Teddy will be wheeling Vickie out. The lights will go out again, and when they come up, Teddy will be gone and you'll be at the helm of her wheelchair. She'll try to move, probably screaming like a banshee the whole time. You lock her in a sleeper, choke her out, throw her back in the wheelchair and wheel her away."

"How do you do a sleeper hold?" she asked. Vince laughed. He knew she didn't have any experience, but a sleeper hold was so basic. Shane held up a hand to his father and stood to his feet.

"Stand up," he told her. She obeyed and he held up his arms and explained to her how to hook her arms around for it. She did it and released the hold. He made her try it again two or three more times to make sure that she had it down. With a smile, she thanked Shane for giving her pointers. She felt the butterflies welling up in her stomach already. She was so worried about making Mark look bad. She just hoped to hell that everything would go smoothly when the cameras started rolling.


	13. Preparation

**Thirteen**

Mark found her in Glen's locker room with Vickie, Edge, real name Adam Copeland, Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder and Chavo Guerrero, running through the plans for the night. He smiled; it seemed as though she was learning the ropes pretty quickly...and everybody seemed to adapt to her presence pretty well.

She turned to him, her beautiful features contorting into a wide smile that he never thought possible. "Mark! When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," he answered. "I went to the Divas locker room, and they told me Steph came and got you so I figured you must have made your way over to Glen by now."

"Yeah," she admitted sheepishly, her tone still resonating with the excitement usually reserved for a child. "Shane taught me how to do a sleeper hold so I thought I'd try and rehearse a bit with Vickie, so Glen went and got everybody." Mark had been briefed a couple days earlier about what was going to happen in the ring at the end of the night, with and without Celina, so he was more or less ready to go.

"Mark, you know all the details right?" Adam asked. He was a tall guy with blond hair, dressed in a Sex and Violence T-shirt and black jeans. He was one of the most hated men in the WWE locker room, with fans around the world waiting to tear his heart out. Mark nodded. "Good, because I have to go do a pretape with Vickie in a minute or two, so just call it on the fly out there with me, all right?" Mark nodded; Adam was celebrating his tenth year in the company, so it wasn't as though he had a complete rookie working with him. Adam bid him farewell and left the locker room. Vickie gave Celina a welcoming hug and followed Adam out. The two of them had sat down and explained to Celina their storyline relationship and how they were going out of their way to screw The Undertaker at every turn. By attacking her, they explained, Celina would be a fan favorite with Kane and the Undertaker. The storyline was controversial, but Celina found Vickie to be a sweet woman.

Curt and Zach had matches and Glen had already given them the information needed to get through the final segment of the night, so they left as well. They had a match against John Morrison and Mike Mizanin, the ECW Tag Team Champions. A short while later, Chavo Guerrero needed to do a few things and suit up before the ECW tapings started, so he left, telling Glen he'd see him out in the ring. Glen nodded and the door closed, leaving the trio standing alone in the room.

"You ready for this, Celina?" Glen asked, a smile twisting at his features.

"How the hell do you guys handle the nerves?" she asked. "My stomach is in knots."

"You'll get used to it," Mark told her. "So when did you and Shelton take off this morning? Michelle and I woke up and there was nobody there."

"He woke me up at five," Celina confessed. Mark smirked.

"Cheater."

"Yeah, about that," Celina replied, "He said he was willing to take a victory over the Dead Man by any means necessary." He laughed, an evil, demonic chuckle. The tone took her aback, but she realized that he had used that frightening chuckle over the years to strike fear into the hearts of millions. Still, it seemed weird to hear it from him. She realized eventually she was going to have to let that high school image of him go.

Glen gave Celina a pat on the arm. "I'll see you in a little bit," he told them. "I got a segment to tape."

"Anything good?" Celina asked. Kane shrugged.

"Usual shit. Me standing in red light laughing like a moron." They all laughed and he made his way out of the locker room, leaving Mark and Celina alone. He sat down in a steel folding chair and she did the same. His green eyes burned into her. Just like in high school, just one stare from Mark could always make her feel small. Like she had done something wrong. She smiled.

"Even after all these years, you still have that fucking look," she murmured. His face burrowed in confusion.

"What?"

"That look - what did I do?" He smirked. He used to use the look on her to panic her. She'd spend the entire shift worrying that she had upset him, only to have him laugh at the end of the night and tell him he was just fucking with her. In high school, he'd sported many a bruise as a result of Celina's frustrations with him. He chuckled and fought the urge to tell her he was just fucking with her again. He hated the idea of having to go out to the ring with a black eye because little Celina Cooper had punched him out.

"Just relax, Celina. Tonight will go fine, okay?" She nodded. "Okay?"

"Okay, Mark."

"Say it with me now..."

"Oh, for fuck's..."

"Celina." She knew better than to argue with that tone. Even in high school she knew better. She took a deep breath.

"Tonight will go fine."

"Good." He stood up. "Now go get yourself ready. Lord knows you can't look like that when you go out there."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me, look at Glen, and try and fit in with that image. You're going to need to blend. You look a little too clean-cut to get stuck with two monsters." She nodded. "Talk to Victoria about that. I'm sure she'll help you; she has a bit of a darker image than the other Divas." Celina nodded. He stood up. "Now, I've got to go deal with a few things, but I'll come get you from the locker room, okay?" She nodded and followed him out into the hallway. She watched him retreat down the hallway, disappearing behind the corner. She smiled; as nervous as she was, she was incredibly excited to be going out to the ring tonight.

She walked down the hallway, looking nervous. She was worried that she couldn't remember just where the Divas locker room was.

"Celina! Celina!"

She turned around to see Lisa and Nattie rush over to her. "Hi," Celina replied, slightly bewildered by how nice they were being to her. She knew they had no reason, but they seemed so genuine that she didn't even think that there was an ulterior motive. "What's up?"

"Well, we thought we'd get you ready for your first night, if that's all right. We all know that you can't be running around, associated with Kane and Taker, dressed like that." Celina smiled; she appreciated their helpful efforts after the cold reception Michelle had given her.

"Funny...Mark was just telling me that," she said. "He even told me to talk to you, Lisa." She laughed.

"So what do you say?"

Celina nodded and the girls smiled, leading her back to the Divas locker room. "Mark's here," Celina said, "Where's Michelle?"

"Doing some segment shot with Kara." Celina nodded; she wasn't sure if she had met her. Lisa clapped her hands together. "Let's check your duffel bag. We'll try and improvise something here for you. You'll probably need to go shopping for some stuff before next week's tapings though."

"Why are you guys being so nice to me?" Celina inquired. "I really haven't done anything to deserve it."

"You're a Diva here, and what's more, you're going to be a Diva to two of our top guys. We want to make sure this works out for everybody involved," Lisa told her as Nattie started rifling through skirts and shirts. She found a short red miniskirt and she threw it at Celina.

"This should work. Or do you prefer the black? Lisa?"

"I think the red will work," Lisa replied, causing a smirk to pull at Celina's lips. While Nattie began to rifle through through her shirts, Lisa dragged her over to a table with a mirror and began to work with her makeup. The makeup lady was already busy as it was with Michelle, and she knew that Celina didn't really want to see her. So she set to work painting her lips a classic red, her eyeshadow dark, with black eyeliner under her eyes. She grabbed a plugged in straightening iron Layla had used earlier in the night and straightened Celina's already straight hair to give it a flat, parted look.

She looked different, way different than she had dancing, than she had waitressing, than she had even in her daily life. Lisa smiled. "You have incredible eyes," she commented. "They really stand out."

Celina nodded. "My grandma had eyes like mine," she replied.

"None of your shirts are going to work," Nattie snapped in frustration. She went to her bag. "Tonight you can borrow one of my corsets." She rifled through her bag and produced a black one. She tossed it on top of the skirt.

"Thank you guys again for being so nice," Celina replied. "It means a lot."

"You seem like a nice girl, Celina, so don't think anything of it," Lisa told her. "So do they have a backstory for you yet?"

"Not that I know of," she answered. "Vince didn't really tell me anything. He was laughing too hard when he learned I didn't know how to perform a sleeper." The girls laughed.

"Did he show you?"

"Shane did."

"Ah, Shane. You'll like him; he comes off as a total douche on TV, but back here, he's just like another one of the boys," Lisa informed her. "He is a fun travel partner."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Nattie interjected quickly, "Now go get dressed. Mark could be here any time to get you for tonight." Celina nodded; Nattie had a point. Mark could want to get together with her to give her a quick run-through before everything started. With a grateful smile to the girls, she went into the shower stall and changed into her outfit. She emerged and the girls nodded their approval.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they introduced you as Mark's sister," Lisa mused. Celina laughed.

"You'd figure that would have come out in the last eighteen years."

"Well, it took seven for Kane to come into the picture," Nattie replied. Celina shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess they can come up with anything for me." They nodded.

"Anyway, I have to get running," Nattie said. "Some of the photographers want to get some more shots of me for the website. Good luck out there tonight, Celina." She nodded in gratitude and she left.

Lisa smiled. "You'll do fine. You look like a tough girl. And if you ever have a problem with one of the girls, you can come to me. I'll take care of it." She smiled.

"Thanks for the offer, Lisa," she replied.

"I'll try to give you as many pointers as I can about in-ring stuff, that way Mark and Shane can have a bit of a break," she teased. Celina nodded. "Anyway, I'm going to go to catering. The best thing I can advise you to do is just stay focused and take a deep breath. You'll be fine out there. You're working with a bunch of veterans." Celina nodded and watched in confusion as Lisa left the locker room.


	14. An Altercation with Michelle

**Fourteen**

Celina took her place behind the thick black curtain with Teddy Long and Vickie Guerrero. Teddy was a sweet guy from what Celina could tell; they had barely talked before meeting up. The one thing she noticed, however, was that he wore suits that were too big for him. Tonight his suit was brown. Vickie was in her wheelchair, dressed in a black dress, her hair waved and makeup dramatic. She was feeling a rush of adrenaline; it was just resonating to Celina. The trio could see what was happening on a monitor perched at the corner. The guys were all standing in the ring, and talking like idiots about something that happened at a pay-per-view that had just passed. Celina wished she had watched more wrestling recently; she was so lost with the storylines.

"Get over here, Celina," Vickie murmured softly. Celina made her way over to where Teddy and Vickie were located. She could see a patch of fans through a slit in the curtain. "There's going to be a really small window of getting out onto the stage," she informed her, "So watch through the curtain. Once the lights go out, Teddy's going to run back here and I'll need you to run through." Celina nodded; the butterflies in her stomach were driving her crazy. She wasn't sure if she was going to throw up or be sick. Vickie made a motion to Teddy, who flashed Celina a reassuring smile before going through the curtain. She began to pace back and forth. She hadn't seen Mark since he had picked her up and brought her here. Glen, too. She had watched the ECW tapings from a monitor in her dressing room and had watched Glen obliterate Chavo.

The lights went out the first time. She knew this wasn't her cue. That was the cue for the "brothers" to show up and go to town on the boys while Vickie screamed for them to stop, screaming desperate threats at the duo, who just didn't care. She could hear Vickie shouting into the microphone how she was going to see to it Kane be stripped of his championship when the lights went out again. With a deep breath Celina made her way through the curtain, brushing into Teddy before taking her place at the wheelchair.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act, but she had a hard time containing the smile on her face. She darkened her features and made the smile demonic, even though she was bursting with pride to be out at ringside with Mark, doing something for the company he was so devoted to. She placed her hands on the wheelchair solidly as the lights came up. The men were down and Mark and Glen were standing in the ring, staring over at Vickie. Panicked, Vickie stared over at who she thought would be Teddy to see Celina smiling demonically down at her. Vickie began to scream and she lunged up to run, but Celina reached over the wheelchair and grabbed her, locking her in the hold. She made it seem like she had applied alot of pressure to the hold as Vickie flailed and thrashed under her hands. Finally, Vickie went limp and Celina dropped her back in the wheelchair. The lights went off again and Celina quickly pulled Vickie behind the curtains. When they were out of the view of the fans, and backstage, she leaned down. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Celina asked. Vickie shook her head.

"You did good." Vickie flashed her a smile. The lights went up and through the slit in the curtains, Celina could see only the guys laid out in the ring. There wasn't a sign of Mark or Glen anywhere.

"Where did they go?" Celina asked. Vickie shrugged.

"I don't know. I've always been curious about that." Celina smirked and Vickie climbed out of the wheelchair. "You moved quick, you did good."

"It was hard keeping a straight face," she admitted.

"You'll get past that," Vickie replied. "I'm pretty sure Mark is very proud of you right now."

"I hope so."

"He speaks very highly of you, you know," Vickie replied as they walked towards the back halls of the arena. Celina nodded. "I know there's going to be a lot of women - maybe even a lot of men jealous of that, Celina, but always treasure his friendship. Let nobody ruin it for anything." She smiled.

"I never would, Vickie," she replied.

"Who are those two beautiful ladies standing directly in front of me?"

Celina and Vickie exchanged smiles before turning to see Shelton Benjamin smiling behind them. He was already cleaned up, dressed down in a pair of sweat pants and a white muscle shirt. Celina smiled and he gave her the biggest hug he could muster. "You did wonderful out there, Celina," he told her. "You worked over Vickie like a pro." Celina laughed.

"Thank Shane McMahon for that," Celina replied as he released his grip from her. "He showed me how to do a sleeper hold." She saw Adam, Curt and Zach making their way down the hallway. The self-proclaimed "Edgeheads" and their leader approached.

"Great job tonight. Everyone up for clubbing tonight?" Adam asked. Shelton thought he was crazy, but he saw Celina stiffen up at the mention of a club.

"I don't know..." Celina replied. "Shelton had my sorry ass up pretty early and I've been pulling all nighters this week. I think I'll just head back to the hotel and settle down for the night." Shelton nodded.

"I think I'll be doing that too. I was in such a rush to beat out the Dead Man this morning that I cleaned myself right out." Adam shrugged.

"Suit yourselves, guys." With that, his group - with Vickie - sauntered off down the hallway. Shelton smiled at her.

"Amazing match you had tonight. You really are an incredible athlete," she replied.

"Thanks," he replied. His tone reeked of humility. "So you don't want to go clubbing with the guys?"

"Nah, I'm exhausted," she replied. "Why aren't you heading out?"

"I'm tired too. I was up before you were." He shook his head. "Anyway, I normally don't hang out with Adam and his gang. I'm more with Morrison and Mizanin. The ECW boys."

"When do I get to meet them?"

"Well, they left for the night, but I'll make sure I get you to meet them next week. How does that sound?"

"I can live with that." She flashed him a smile. "I should probably get to the Divas locker room and head out."

"I'll walk over there with you, if you'd like."

"Sure." The two of them began their walk down the hallway, towards the back of the arena.

"You look amazing tonight," he told her with a smile. She felt a blush crawling up her neck.

"Thanks, Shelton. You know, the blond doesn't stick out half as much tonight as it usually does."

"Oh, you had to go there," he replied, acting insulted at the reference. But the truth was, tonight they were both in the greatest mood they had been in in a week.

They turned the corner and stopped dead in their tracks to see Michelle arguing with Mark backstage. Mark was still in his ring gear, while Michelle was dressed in a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Her shouts were loud, they could hear them clearly from where they stood a couple feet away. "Jesus, the bitch doesn't let up on him, does she?" Shelton heard her murmur. They could see Mark actually blushing in embarassment as he tried to calm her down. Celina couldn't believe it. "Is the bitch always like this?" she whispered.

"Honest truth? Sometimes. She has to be an amazing lay because I can't see a guy like Mark putting up with that shit."

"Was Sara like this?"

"Fuck, no," Shelton replied. "Everyone liked Sara." Michelle continued to shout and yell as people walked past. Mark was rubbing his head. She was yelling at him about Celina again. After a few minutes of her intolerable yelling and screaming, with Mark's futile attempts to calm her down, without hesitation, Celina made her way into view and walked over towards them.

"Mark!" she shouted. Mark took one look at her and she could see him groan inwardly. Shelton was behind the wall, slapping his forehead. Both men knew things were about to get worse just by Celina's presence. She stood beside him and looked Michelle up and down in contempt. "Is there a problem here?"

"This doesn't concern you, sweetheart," Michelle snapped. Celina stepped forward, placing herself between Mark and Michelle. She shook her head in disgust at the Diva.

"You know, at one point, I was actually really worried about meeting you. I'd heard Mark was dating this beautiful, wonderful woman. An All-American girl. I was so excited to hear that Mark was happy, and I wanted her to like me because Mark's been my friend since high school. Since I was thirteen. From the second that I met you, the only thing I've observed in the last week or so is that you're just some stuck up bitch working to make him miserable because you're not happy with yourself. Because for some ungodly reason you're so fucking insecure. I guess stealing men from under the feet of their wives would make you pretty jumpy, wouldn't it?" Celina knew she hit a sore spot. Michelle's eyes blazed.

"How dare..."

"Celina..." She held up a hand and Mark silenced.

"Let me finish." She took a step closer to Michelle. "I don't know what jealous insecurities you have about me, and I don't know where the fuck they come from, Miss McCool, but I'd advise you to check them at the door and fast. If I ever - and I mean ever - see you pulling this shit on Mark again - in public for his friends and colleagues to see, then you and I will go out to the parking lot. Do you hear me?"

Michelle looked at the two of them, her usually pretty features scarred into a snarl. "I see how it is. I'll tell you what, Mark; I'll go stay in Celina's solo room tonight and you can do whatever the fuck you want with this little whore..."

Celina's hand flew so fast that nobody had time to stop it. Michelle's face snapped to the side, her hair whipping in a blonde wave. Michelle looked at Mark, holding the side of her face. Celina was breathing heavily, in agitation. Mark's face was stricken with surprise.

Michelle's face flared red and her features went back into a snarl. "Mark! Aren't you going to do something? The fucking bitch hit me!" Mark was silent for a second. This was not a good position to be in. But he took a deep breath and spoke the truth.

"You kind of deserved it, Michelle," he told her. She screamed in anger and stormed away in tears.

Celina scowled after her. "Bitch," she murmured. She turned to Mark. "I'm sorry, Mark. Shelton and I saw what was happening and...I can't believe you'd put up with this shit!" Her entire body was quaking with anger.

"Celina..."

"Mark, look, I know I was out of line. And I really am sorry if I spoke out of turn...but I couldn't just stand there and let her do that. You're the Dead Man, for God's sakes; nobody fucks with you, remember?"

Just then, his face contorted into a smirk. He gave her a hug and his body vibrated against hers with laughter. "What the hell is so funny?" she asked, as the laughter began to overtake her.

"Friends like you sure don't come around all that much," he said. He pulled back, and gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. She was still a spirited little thing. Celina turned her head to the side.

"Shelton, you can come out now." He laughed, coming into view. Mark smiled.

"Not out with the boys tonight?" Mark inquired. Shelton shook his head.

"Dead tired."

"That's what happens when you try to beat me by cheating." They laughed. "You took good care of Celina, got her here in one piece. I appreciate that." Shelton nodded. Just then, his cell phone rang.

"My psychic sense is telling me it's Alexa." He looked at the phone.

"Thanks for jinxing me," he replied. He sighed. "I'm going to go deal with this and then head to the hotel. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning, okay, Celina?" She nodded. His eyes went to Mark's. "I'll probably talk to you then, too." He nodded.

"See you around." With that, Shelton answered the phone and took off down the hallway, stopping to give Celina one more stare. Mark smirked, turning his eyes back to Celina. "What say you and I go back to the hotel, get some sundaes or something, and just catch up?"

She smiled. "Great. And you can pick apart what I did out there tonight. Deal?"

"I'll be your toughest critic. I promise."


	15. Sundae Confessions

**Fifteen**

Mark wheeled the ice cream trolly into the room. Celina smiled, prompting a grin to spread across his face. He couldn't remember the last time he sat around with a friend from the old days. Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he ate ice cream.

The car ride had been silent. He had tried to go find Michelle, only to be informed by Cherry that she was very upset with him. Celina handed Kara the keycard to her room and told her to give it to Michelle. Kara had just scowled at Celina, who had flashed her a sardonic smile and waved goodbye to her before making her way out of the arena with Mark. She refused to make any apologies for slapping the taste out of Michelle's mouth. She didn't take too kindly to being called a whore. She had heard that a lot back when she had worked as a dancer, when the drunken men would become agitated that she wasn't showering them with her attention, that she wasn't buying into their sexual advances. It struck a nerve with Celina, but the truth was she had been waiting to slap out Michelle for a while.

"You got a hell of a slap there, Celina," he told her, scooping ice cream into a bowl. He handed it to her and she took it.

"You're not mad?" she asked, grabbing the spoon located in the sprinkles bowl and coating her ice cream with it.

"She deserved it. God only knows what the hell's been biting her lately." They fell silent.

"Look, Mark...about what I said to her...about husband-stealing..." Mark chuckled and dismissed it with a wave.

"I've heard those rumors before," he told her, pouring chocolate syrup over his bowl of ice cream. "I'm not gonna tell you a whole hell of a lot about that, but I will swear on a stack of Bibles that Sara had already filed for divorce when Michelle came along." He took a deep breath. "She's the mother of my two daughters, Celina, and I wouldn't have fucked that up for anything." Celina flashed him a soft smile.

"Two daughters, huh?" She shook her head, silently berating herself for missing out on so much of her best friend's life. She had heard about his two sons; he had called her from the delivery room. But over the years, with the stress and the expansion of the business, it had just become hard to accommodate each other. That, and her traveling all the way around the United States didn't help.

"Beautiful girls," he replied. He placed the ice cream down on the trolley and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He opened it up to the pictures and handed it to her. She smiled.

"I never could see you with daughters, Mark," Celina replied, handing him back his wallet. He snapped it shut and stuck it back in his pocket.

"Neither could I, to be honest," he answered, sitting down on his bed with his ice cream. "Fucked if I know how to talk to a woman."

"It really shows. Why did you let Michelle yell at you like that? I mean, don't you know how that looks?"

He shrugged. "I know how it looks," he answered. "But it never looks good for you to take part in an argument backstage in front of your colleagues. Especially with a woman. It's just unprofessional. I always just let Michelle yell it out, storm off in a huff, and deal with her when I see her in private." Celina nodded.

"That's a good idea, but when it comes to dealing with her one on one, I'd suggest stringing her by her feet and using her as a pinata." He smirked, a deep chuckle resonating from his throat as he took a bite of ice cream. He was silent for a moment.

"So what the hell is her problem with you?"

"She thinks I'm fucking you, Mark." He just about choked on his ice cream. His eyes stared over at hers and they burst into a fit of laughter at the idea.

"You're a beautiful girl, Celina, and you always have been...but...no."

"I told her that when we met."

"Well, I told her that before she even met you."

"Then what the hell is her problem?"

"Woman thing, I guess," he replied. Celina smirked.

"Well, that was sexist." Mark winked at her.

"You love me." He took a bite of ice cream. "So, what's up with you and Shelton?"

"He's a friend."

"Come on, Celina. I know you better than that."

"Mark, the two of us just got out of something."

"Your point?"

"We sympathize with each other. We connect with each other on that level. That's about it."

"You guys have been inseparable."

"He's been helping me along while Michelle's throwing her tantrums." Mark smirked.

"Sorry I haven't been there for you as much, Celina," he apologized with a smirk. "Trying to divide my attention between you two _kids_ has not been easy."

"Who the hell are you calling a kid? I'm thirty-five, douchebag!" Mark smirked.

"Well, you and Michelle are acting like kids."

"Mark, am I going to get in trouble for slapping Michelle? I really don't want to apologize to her over it. It felt amazing." He laughed.

"I think there's enough people who are behind you on this one, Celina. And I won't force you to apologize to her. She was out of line, and she did deserve it, whether she thinks so or not." He took another bite of ice cream. "So, have you told Shelton about the stripping thing?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "God, no! I didn't even want to tell you. Fucking Mark Henry," she added under her breath. He chuckled.

"It's not a big deal. It's not like most of the Divas have a clean-cut past. We got women that pose for Playboy for Christ's sake."

"I just...I don't want that to be a big deal, Mark. That was in the past. I don't want it to play a part in my future, you know?" He gave her a smile. "Please promise me you'll talk to Mark and ask him to keep quiet about it. I don't want it to get out."

He smiled at her. "I promise you, Celina, I won't let the information out."

"Did you tell Michelle?"

He took a deep breath. "I did," he admitted. "When it first came out. I was so shocked. I guess sometimes I still see you as that little thirteen year old kid ragging on me at work."

She smiled softly. "I still have that image of the behemoth at the dish station." He laughed. "Had dreams to play basketball, then wrestling. Now look at you. You've done so many amazing things for yourself. You're respected by millions of people around the world. Who would have guessed?"

"I never would have," Mark confessed. "The company still had a hell of a lot of expanding to do when I got there. Now look. We're doing everything in HD to go up with the times, and we're about ratings and creative and all this complicated shit."

"Do you ever get lost in it?"

"In the shuffle?" he asked. She nodded. "At first I kind of did. Things can get pretty fucking complicated backstage. Some guys, like John Cena, they just don't pay attention to it and let it go as it goes. Other guys, like Hunter and I, we got the hang of it and learned to play ball. Angle did for a while there, too."

"Why do you play the backstage politics?"

"Some of it is character. A lot of it is the fact I've put eighteen years into this business, and not to sound arrogant, but I think that entitles me to at least have some input as to what I'm doing and what my character is doing. But it's not like I go out of my way to screw over the younger guys."

"And Hunter?"

"Hunter gets a bad rap cause he married the boss's daughter. But Hunter does like being on top of the industry. That's natural, can't fault him for it. But Vince is a tad slight tougher with him because there is a business to think about. For a while there, Hunter wasn't even in title contention. He was feuding with King Booker and Umaga, for Christ's sakes." She nodded. "The truth is, I wouldn't worry about it. But some of the Divas can be pretty fucking catty. I don't have a doubt in my mind though that you'll be okay. You can hold your own. Michelle knows that." They laughed.

"I shouldn't be laughing," he stated, getting himself another sundae. "I'm awful...but my God, you hit her pretty good there." He laughed again. Celina smiled.

"I'm glad I have your approval. Can I do it again?"

He chuckled. "If she steps out of line, I might even join you."

"Too much information, Mark." He laughed and sat down on his bed. It felt just like breaktime at the restaurant when they were teenagers. Just sitting around, laughing and talking about whatever. He missed these moments. They were the moments that he hadn't really been able to have with a lot of people. She was his best friend in the entire world. But there was a little voice in the back of his head saying that things between Michelle and Celina were going to get ugly. He just hoped he wouldn't have to take sides.


	16. Michelle Gets Catty

**Sixteen**

Michelle sat in what was supposed to be Celina's hotel room with Kara, clutching a thick white pillow to her chest and sobbing. Celina's hand had hit Michelle's orbital bone during their confrontation and her face was to bruising into a purple color. Kara had to go to the front desk and get her some ice to keep the swelling down. They were sitting on the bed that would have belonged to Celina had she not decided to take Celina's room with the radio on as Michelle ranted and raved about her confrontation with Celina earlier on in the night.

"She fucking hit me!" she cried to Kara, putting the ice to her eye. She winced at the initial contact. "She fucking hit me, and Mark didn't do a goddamn thing. He even had the fucking audacity to tell me I deserved it."

"He did?" Kara's eyes widened. Of course, Michelle had failed to mention that she had called Celina a whore. She had failed to mention a lot. As far as Kara knew, Celina had just come out of nowhere and had beaten down Michelle.

"Yeah. Fuck, since she called him up that night, it's been all 'Celina this, Celina that'...and the big bastard expects me to believe that he's not fucking her. That's probably what they're doing in his hotel room right now! And then he'll come limping his way over to me, telling me he loves me and he's sorry that he let Celina get away with it. He really is a fucking piece of work."

Kara had to admit that she was a little bit uncomfortable with Michelle's ranting. Especially because Mark had always seemed fair to her. He had always been cordial with her every time he ran into her with Michelle. She wished she could tell Michelle that she didn't really want to hear it; but since she had been forced to strike out on her own and forced to learn how to wrestle, Michelle had basically become a friend, training her and showing her the ropes.

She didn't know what to say to Michelle's accusation. "Do you still have the keycard for the room?"

"Yeah," Michelle replied, gingerly wiping tears from her eyes. "Mark actually didn't make me give that back."

"Why don't you go confront them then?" Kara asked. It seemed insane that Michelle would be so jealous when Kara and half of the locker room didn't see any sort of indication of an attraction between Mark and Celina. It definitely seemed more fraternal and she was amazed Michelle was so paranoid. So insecure. Michelle shook her head.

"What's the use?" she moaned, covering her face in the pillow. "She's his picture perfect Celina. The little bitch can do no fucking wrong! Since she came into the picture, he doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with me!" She slammed her pillow-covered face into her lap. "I was so fucking naive to think that everything with Mark was going to work out. I've been so busy taking care of his injured ass and he can't even fucking stand up for me when some stupid bitch attacks me backstage!"

Kara shook her head and stroked Michelle's hair. "Have you talked to Mark about this, Michelle? How can he fix what he doesn't know."

"He does know," she groaned. "He's known since he ran out the door to go rescue her slutty ass."

"Rescue?" Michelle nodded, taking a deep breath and running her hand through her blonde hair.

"She just fucking calls him in the middle of the night and says, 'Come get me'. So what does he do? He just ups and fucking leaves me in the middle of the night to go run after her. Some friend from high school, he told me."

"I'd say the best thing you can do is confront them both, Michelle," Kara advised her, "and do it soon. You need to lay down some ground rules for Mark. If Celina really makes you this uncomfortable, then you need to tell Mark that outside of the business, he can't be seeing her like this."

"Yeah, because that'll work. Mark would fucking dump me first."

"You never know until you give it a try, Michelle," Kara told her. "Maybe you and Mark can work out some kind of compromise. Now, you should go march yourself to his room and have it out with them. The sooner, you get it out, the better."

Michelle looked up, a sardonic smile crossing her face. "Kara, you're right." She threw her pillow to the side and put her ice pack on the nightstand. "I'm going to go and lay down the law to those two." Kara stood to her feet as well. Kara felt terrible but she had a motive for pushing Michelle to their hotel room. It was quarter to two in the morning and she had a flight at four-thirty in the morning. She was exhausted, and she was kind of getting tired of listening to Michelle bitch.

Michelle left the room and made her way down the hallway, angry. As she made her way towards Mark's room, Shelton Benjamin turned the corner, sipping on a cup of coffee. He spotted Michelle and knew that she was about to make trouble for Celina and Mark. Her eye was pretty bruised and he knew that it was going to be her constant reminder of Celina putting her in her place for the time being. And it was going to drive Michelle crazy.

She tried to storm past him, but he grabbed her arm tightly. She wheeled around and looked at him, her eyes blazing like the fires of hell. "Let me go."

"No fucking way am I letting you go and start shit. Especially at two o'clock in the fucking moring." His tone was stern, even and hushed in the hotel hallway.

She shook out of his grasp. "Do you see what this bitch has done to me?" she raged. Shelton nodded.

"And you asked for it when you decided to call her a whore."

"Oh, Lord. That's right. I'm so in the fucking wrong here. Everyone stands up for the stripper." Shelton's eyebrow arched.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, Celina conveniently failed to mention that, huh? Yeah, she was a fucking stripper, and I bet you she's fucking Mark right now!" Shelton rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to laugh at how stupid she sounded, and grabbed her arm again as she tried to walk past him. She scowled at him. "Let me go."

"Michelle, I don't know what kind of thing is going on in your fucking brain, but I just came from their hotel room and they're sleeping. In separate beds. You could have been in there with Mark, Michelle, but you flew into a fucking huff because you were being a bitch. Not just to Mark, but to Celina, too. And you've been awful to her the second you met her. She doesn't deserve the bullshit you've given her."

"Oh yeah, let's all feel sorry for the stripper..."

"That's not relevant," Shelton replied. "It has nothing to do with the fact that you're insecure, paranoid, and if you don't clean up your act, then Mark is going to leave you. The more you accuse the two of them, the more likely that you're going to push him right to her." He shook his head. "There is something seriously wrong with you. It's too bad you're not half as nice as the character you play off on TV." He loomed in close to her, his face contorted into a snarl. "If I hear again that you're causing problems for Celina, you will be dealing with me, are we clear?"

She tried to stare him down, but his eyes glared right back at her. When she realized that she wasn't going to win, she shook out of his grasp and stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her. "Bitch," he murmured. He went into his bedroom and closed the door. His mind was racing. Celina a stripper? It's not like he expected her to have a squeaky clean past, but it was still a surprising revelation. But he knew Michelle was throwing that out to be a bitch, and not because she thought Shelton should know.

He shrugged. The information didn't really affect him in the slightest. He finished his coffee and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to be another day in the Michelle McCool-Celina Cooper feud and he wanted to be sure that he was there for Celina.


	17. Breakfast with Shelton

**Seventeen**

Celina woke up in her bed to see Mark passed out in his, his sleeping face towards her as he snored away loudly. He looked peaceful, even cute in some odd little way. The trolly was in between the two beds and Mark had put the ice cream in the freezer before going to bed the night before. The trolly was desecrated with sprinkles and ice cream droplets, the bowls stacked atop each other.

Last night had been fun. Shelton had stopped by to visit for a little bit. Little by little, Mark was liking Shelton more. At least that's what Celina was thinking; it seemed like it. He had hardly spoken to Shelton until Celina had come into the picture. Now, everyone seemed to become more and more tight-knit, with only Michelle pushing herself out of the picture and causing a ruckus. Shelton himself was even becoming less and less intimidated by Mark as the trio began to hang out together more and more.

Pulling the green covers back, Celina got out of bed and gathered her things to take a shower. She had today off; the company had decided to keep her away from house shows until next week's TV tapings, when they would introduce her, give her a name, a story. Until then, they didn't want to mess up the mystique. She wasn't too worried about it this early in the morning, however. She was going to meet Shelton downstairs for breakfast, and let Mark sleep in a little bit.

She dressed herself in a black pleated miniskirt and a red tube top, putting a knitted black sweater on over top. Zipping it up, she began to play around with her hair and her makeup, getting it just right. She didn't understand why she was being like this. She was only meeting Shelton for breakfast. But she still felt the incredible urge to look good. A small part of her hoped that she would be able to see Michelle and Kara this morning. She could only imagine the murderous glares that Michelle would shoot at her for slapping her backstage the night before. She understood Mark's logic of maintaining a degree of professionalism, but she seriously thought he should have belted her one. She knew Mark would never lay his hand on a woman, but Michelle was out of line last night. Way out of line.

Trying to push the thoughts of Michelle McCool out of her mind, Celina slid on a pair of knee-high heeled boots and zipped them up. Grabbing a keycard and her purse, she ran out of the room in silence to go meet Shelton downstairs.

Shelton was in the cafe, waiting for her at a table. He looked great; dressed head to toe in black. He waved at her and with a smile on her face she made her way over to the table. She could see the back of Michelle's head. She was sitting alone. Probably waiting for Mark, who was so exhausted after last night that he was sleeping in. She knew Mark was in for a thorough chewing out when he woke up...if she let him sleep in. Michelle seemed like the type to ring him up in his room just to give him whatfor. Celina sighed; some women deserve to be pistol-whipped.

She slid into the booth across from Shelton as he flashed her a wide smile. "Good morning, Mr. Benjamin," she told him with a wink.

"Morning, Ms. Cooper," he replied. "You thought about what you want for breakfast?"

"Waffles," she answered with a laugh. The waitress showed up and she ordered an orange juice while Shelton ordered a coffee. She walked away and he flashed her a smile.

"You gave McCool a black eye."

"You fucking serious?" Celina inquired. Shelton nodded and laughed. She shook her head. "Guess she'll think twice next time."

"I, uh, ran into her at two this morning. She was on her way to Mark's room."

"What?"

"I stopped her, obviously. She was saying that you were in Mark's room, um...sleeping with him and such." The waitress returned with their drinks and she sipped her orange juice. "She also said you were a stripper."

Celina just about choked on her orange juice. "What?" She coughed and sputtered. Shelton had said it so casually that it had taken her aback.

"It's not true?"

She contemplated lying, but she knew that when the truth came out things would be bad. Shelton had become a good friend to her, and she knew it would be devastating to lose that over a lie. She took a deep breath. "No, it's true." She put her head in her hand. "I could kill the little bitch."

"Take it easy," Shelton smirked. "Lita was a stripper. It's not like it's the end of the world."

She ran a hand over her head as the waitress came back to take their order. Celina ordered waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, while Shelton ordered steak and eggs. She walked away. "I just didn't want a lot of people to know."

"Does Mark know?" Shelton asked. Celina nodded.

"It's how Michelle found out. When I was...dancing in Georgia, Mark Henry stopped in, and he told Mark."

"How did Mark react?"

"He's okay with it, as far as I can tell." She shook her head. "It's just...I don't want it to be a big deal that Mark's perfect little Celina was a stripper."

"It's not a big deal. At least not to me, and not to Mark. But she was just saying it to be a total bitch last night." She nodded. She could feel the rage welling up inside of her. She couldn't believe Michelle would go out of her way to just spread the information to everyone.

"What a bitch," Celina murmured. "I have half a mind to give her a taste of what I gave her last night."

"Just calm down, Tiger," he teased. "So how did you fall into it?"

"Stripping?" she asked. He nodded and she smirked. "I don't really know. It wasn't like I woke up one day and decided, 'Hey - I'm going to be a stripper'. It just kind of happened. I moved out of the state for a guy who wound up dumping me, and with no places hiring, I started dancing. It's not a glamorous job by any stretch, but I made a lot of good money doing that while I was writing on the side.

"Then I met Reid, and stripping was a sour point for him, even though that's where we met. When things got serious, he told me I needed to stop, and I did. I managed to get some shitty receptionist job making about a quarter of what I would in a night..." The waitress approached and placed their breakfast in front of them before walking away. "The truth is, it wasn't glamorous, but I made a lot of good friends around the state with what I was doing."

"Any of them you still talk to?"

"Most of them." She shrugged, cutting into her breakfast. "But I've seen a lot of women like Michelle McCool before, so I don't have any sort of hesitation giving her a strong dose of medicine when she steps out of line again."


	18. Mark's Reflections

**Eighteen**

Mark was irritable, and for good reason. Michelle had called him several minutes ago; he had overslept and missed their breakfast "date". She had yelled something at him about Celina; but he had tuned her out; it seemed to be the old song and dance, and he was growing tired of it quickly. It was an image that had to be seen to be believed: Mark's head under the pillow to muffle the sound of the phone ringing...a long, tattooed arm moving about trying to find the telephone. Grabbing it while knocking the phone off the nightstand. Just to listen to her scream and shout that he had been sleeping. He had listened, too exhausted to set her in her place, let alone speak. When she had shouted herself out, she had hung up on him, and he had sighed before hanging up the phone. She probably figured that she had him wrapped around her finger, but the truth was after a while, he just got sick of hearing it. And the truth was, he was starting to grow a little bit tired of her paranoia, and just tired of her in general. A good lay can only get somebody so far, he gathered.

He was tired of hearing about how he was sleeping with Celina. Celina was his best friend, and that was just about it. He had never felt an attraction to her; not even in high school. He knew she had harbored something for a little while, but that had faded before he could even blink. Like an initial infatuation that just gave way into friendship. She was like his sister and that was it. He would never in a million years think of pursuing anything more with her. It was just too weird at this point. At this point, even now, it would seem wrong to sleep with her. To him, it was almost like incest. Just not right. She was like a sister.

He looked around the hotel room. Where the hell was Celina anyways? He hadn't even heard her wake up and leave this morning. He must have been passed right out the night before. They hadn't gotten to bed until late, his last gaze at the clock telling him it was two AM, eating ice cream and talking about old times. Then Shelton had stopped by and they had all just sat around, chattering and eating ice cream. He smirked. She was probably with Shelton; he had offered her to go for breakfast this morning. And knowing Celina, she probably woke up this morning and jumped at the offer.

He wasn't an idiot; he knew she had a thing for Shelton and that Shelton probably had a thing for her. The two of them just seemed so comfortable around each other. There was something intangible between the two of them that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He knew Celina would be better for Shelton than that Alexa woman anyway. She had been a real piece of work. He could never figure out how a guy like Shelton Benjamin could wind up with a woman like that. She was always dressed to the nines, staring at the other women around her with a distasteful eye, yelling at Shelton, much like Michelle was doing to Mark now. He smirked; he wondered if the two women ever sat around and comiserated about ways to make men miserable. It wouldn't be a far stretch, he gathered. Some women just weren't happy unless there was drama. And Michelle was showing her stripes, and fast. He didn't like it one bit. And he found himself concerned about Celina. Lord only knows what Michelle is capable of doing to her. He knew that Celina was a big girl who could take care of herself, but he hated the idea of Michelle making things difficult for her. She didn't deserve it.

He thought about getting dressed. He was meeting Michelle at the gym at eleven. He hadn't seen her since Celina slapped her across the face. She was mad that he stood behind Celina. He knew he needed to speak to Vince; Celina didn't deserve to get in trouble for something Michelle started. As far as he was concerned, Michelle shouldn't have dished anything out if she couldn't take the consequences.

There was always an inkling in the back of his mind telling him that things with Michelle wouldn't last. When she had come onto him that day in his locker room, asking to be trained by "one of the greats", and leveling kisses all over him, he wasn't about to lie, he enjoyed it. The divorce proceedings with Sara were already flying through the courts and he would be the first to admit that he wasn't in the best shape. He still loved Sara, and the divorce had felt as though it had come out of nowhere. It had hit him hard, devastated him. He was convinced he was going to die alone, and he was worried about his kids, and he hoped that he could have worked something out with Sara. But it was hard to make things up to her when he was on the road for three hundred days a year. After a while, he understood. It just wasn't worth it. And here was Michelle, handing him comfort, solace. And he took it. It was stupid; it only drove the final nail in the coffin with Sara, but it happened. And he knew better than to make apologies for it. But he knew it wouldn't last. It was a rebound at best, despite what Michelle claimed. Sometimes he wondered if she was just happy to have a political heavyweight in her corner when her matches got sloppy and Vince started yelling.

Later that afternoon, he and Shelton promised to help train Celina a little bit. She knew a first match would be inevitable, and she wanted to as finely tuned as she could be leading up to that. If Vince started yelling about her slapping Michelle, he's sure the incentive she's taking to train without being asked would soothe it. Vince was a temperamental man when it came to backstage bickering. But Mark and Shelton would be the first to stand up for Celina. Nobody backstage would have expected Celina to be called a whore and let Michelle get away with that. It wasn't right.

He changed into an Original Deadman T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. With the day's physical activity, he knew better than to wear his standard jeans. He hoped Celina caught on to her training faster than Michelle did. At least he knew she wouldn't be keeping him so distracted.


	19. A Public Revelation

**Nineteen**

Shelton and Celina entered the gym together shortly after breakfast and she stopped when she saw Michelle McCool shooting her a glare from the leg press machine. Even in her workout outfit and with an ugly purple eye, Michelle looked immaculate, dressed in a white T-shirt and black jogging pants, her blonde hair back in a tight ponytail. Her face was contorted into a distasteful snarl at the sight of Celina. Sensing that she had caught Michelle's deadly glare, Shelton put a reassuring hand on her spine and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Don't worry about her. Come on - you and me at the treadmill." She nodded. She looked around the gym; she couldn't see Mark anywhere, but Michelle was there, staring icily at Celina as Shelton led her towards the treadmills. After breakfast, they had decided to go work out, so they had stopped by their hotel rooms to get into some workout clothes. Shelton also offered to train her a little bit after their workout; teach her a few moves. She told him that she wanted him to teach her the Dragon Whip. He laughed; it was easy enough, if she had the balance.

She looked amazing, even in her workout clothes, Shelton had to admit. She wore a pair of grey drawstring pants with a lighter grey stripe down the outside of the legs and a baby pink spaghetti-strapped tank top, her brown hair back in a ponytail. She had her iPod attached to a armband and she was putting her headset in as she started up the treadmill. She began to jog slowly, picking up her pace within minutes. Shelton climbed onto the treadmill beside her and started jogging. His earphones blared Timbaland as he ran, trying to keep his focus off of Celina jogging beside him. He wasn't too sure what was up with him lately, but he had been finding himself more and more drawn to Celina. And to be honest, when Michelle had announced to him that she had worked as a stripper...well, he found it kind of hot. But he was definitely not about to tell her that. He didn't want a taste of what she had given Michelle. But there was something so different with how he was feeling about Celina. But he was pretty sure it was just vulnerability. A sense of finding someone to fill Alexa's void. The fear of being alone.

Alexa hadn't called him in a few days. Soon he'd be returning to South Carolina, and he hoped that she was gone. Out of his house, out of his life. He still had some lingering feelings over her, but he realized that her leaving him was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. Everyone around him had told him that he was happier than normal since she had left him, and a few had even been asking him about what was up with Celina. He knew nothing was up with Celina, and even that there was a good chance that there would be nothing with Celina, despite what many people around him believed. But he was happy to have her around, to have her as a friend. She was just like one of the guys...only a girl. He smirked at the thought.

Celina saw Mark rejoin Michelle out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head in disgust as she saw Michelle jump on Mark and inhale his face, keeping her eyes on Celina the whole time. Celina flashed her the middle finger and Shelton laughed loudly. The kiss broke and Mark turned to see what was going on, only to find the two of them running, a wide smile across Celina's face while Shelton laughed, high-fiving her from his treadmill.

She could see Michelle pointing at Celina and saying something to Mark. Mark just shrugged. She could even see a smile tugging at his lips. She stopped the treadmill and shut off her iPod. Mark was still staring at Celina and Shelton in facination. He was snapped away from them with a hard slap in the arm, his face turning back to Michelle as Michelle began to shout.

"Mark, this is ridiculous! I'm your girlfriend, and you're always staring at her, always sticking up for her! It's always fucking Celina, Celina, Celina, and I'm sick of it!" Mark shook his head; it was going to be a long day.

"Do you even know how immature you're sounding right now?" Mark asked her, trying to keep his voice hushed. He could feel a tension headache building.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about all of this, but you're always with her!" she shouted. Shelton got off the treadmill, and put a hand on Celina's shoulder, a sign telling her to stay back on this one. The way the vein in the side of Mark's neck stood out said that this was going to get ugly in a hurry. "Mark, you can't keep seeing her this way and expect people not to talk. Do you have any fucking idea what the whispers and the rumors do to me?"

"Seeing her in what way? Whispers? Rumors..." He shook his head, the laughter escaping him. "She's staying with me until she gets settled." He shook his head. "Nobody thinks anything about Celina and I except for you." He bit his lower lip. She was such a pain in the ass. "I don't know what's wrong with you, Michelle, but this isn't the time, nor the place to start your bullshit." His tone was steadily rising, despite his attempts to keep quiet. Everyone in the gym had stopped working out and was now staring at the two of them. Celina's blood was boiling. How could she humiliate him in public like this? She wanted to move forward and slap Michelle again, but Shelton's grip squeezed on her shoulder, keeping her in place.

"This is unfair," she murmured. Shelton nodded, but kept his grip on Celina.

"Mark, I'm telling you, right here, right now - it's either Celina or it's me."

A chuckle escaped his lips. "You have got to be fucking kidding me," he murmured under his breath. "Michelle, don't make me choose here. You're not going to win." Michelle tried to think of something to say to that. His statement had just about knocked the wind out of her. Celina thought she was crazy. Michelle shot a glare that basically told Celina to stay out of the situation. She wanted to step forward, but Shelton was ready to physically restrain her if need be. As it was, Vince was going to be pissed that this public fight was spilling out. It didn't look too great on the company.

"Mark, you don't understand..." she began, but Mark held up a hand, motioning for her to shut up.

"Michelle, I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a while. Since you don't want to seem to do things in private, I think I should just tell you this now. I think it'd be better if we saw other people. This is just getting too ridiculous for me, and to be blunt, I don't see it working out." Her face dropped and her eyes snapped to Celina, who even looked surprised.

"Mark, you can't do this!" she shouted loudly, tears streaming down her face. Mark closed his eyes, running a hand over his head. With a deep breath, he looked back at her, his eyes blazing.

"I can, and I did, Michelle. Just let it go." He turned to walk away, towards Celina and Shelton, when her shouts rang out.

"But you don't understand, Mark...I've been trying to tell you - I'm pregnant!"


	20. In Times of Trouble

**Twenty**

Celina laid in bed, a pillow clutched to her chest. Her backstory, her entire relevance for being with Undertaker and Kane had come out last week on SmackDown; it was announced she was a long-lost sister of Mark and Glen's who had thought to have perished in the fire that had apparently "killed" Glen and the family so many years ago. It had been so painful that night having to work with Mark. His demeanor had changed, and she hadn't heard from him on a personal level since Michelle had announced her pregnancy. She had Mark by his boys, and the terms she had him agreeing to was to stay away from Celina outside of the ring. Because of the complicated situation, Shelton had brought her back to South Carolina with him, knowing it wasn't a good idea for her to be around Michelle, who evidently didn't want Celina around Mark, let alone staying with him at her house. She remembered that Mark had shot her a look of sympathy, but she wasn't really into talking to him after Michelle had made the announcement. She wasn't into talking period; her face had been dropped in shock, any type of speech or communication eluding her. He had only shot her a helpless look as he and Michelle went out of the gym to talk. Since then, she hadn't heard from him. As it was, she had stormed out of the gym, running. She wasn't sure where she was running, but she ran, the tears streaming down her face. Michelle had won; she had lost her best friend, her hero, her savior. When Shelton had found her, she had been kicking at a tree, her vision completely blured by her tears. He had put a consoling arm around her and led her, sobbing, back to his car to take her back to the hotel. From there, he had gone to the hotel room and gathered her things. Mark and Michelle weren't there, and for that he was thankful. But he gathered her things and he told her she could come back with him.

She was a mess. There had been a lot of years where she hadn't had contact with Mark, but he had at least always been there in her times of trouble. He had been consistent in her life over the years, the only friend from high school she still spoke to. Now he was gone, and it felt as though her heart had been ripped out. Michelle had him right where she wanted him. And there was nothing Celina could do. There was a feeling in the back of her head that she had failed her best friend, that she could have saved him, but failed. It was devastating.

The front door opened and Shelton entered, holding two boxes of pizza and a bag full of pop. He wasn't much of a cook, and he certainly didn't expect Celina to cook for him all the time. She was in the guest bedroom usually reserved for his family when they came out. She hadn't emerged in a week. He was worried about her. She cried non-stop, and wasn't really eating. She was deteriorating quickly; Michelle had made a fatal strike and there was no way to stop the bleeding. A kid. Shelton took a deep breath. It would be Mark's fifth.

He placed everything down on the counter and went towards the guest room. Tonight, Celina had to eat. He was scared of her losing her energy. He knocked on the door and entered. She was laid on top of the blanket, dressed in a pair of pink drawstring pajama pants and a big Original Deadman T-shirt, a pillow clutched to her chest. She looked absolutely wrecked. "Celina?"

She slowly sat up, gazing at Shelton. Her face crumpled and she began to cry. He made his way to the bed and sat down beside her, hugging her tightly against him. His muscles felt so comforting and she clutched at him tightly as she sobbed into his chest. "How could she be such a bitch?" she sobbed. Shelton hugged her tighter, stroking her hair. He didn't even know how to respond. Her tears were wearing through his shirt and he could feel them, hot against his skin. "Shelton, I've lost my best friend."

"Hey - hey," he said soothingly, pulling back. He cupped her chin and stared up at her. "You haven't lost him. Things are just a little messed up right now. I promise you, Celina, honey, everything will straighten out. Just have a little hope, okay?"

"How's it going to straighten out, Shelton? She's fucking pregnant!"

He paused, a smirk pulling at his lips. He shook his head at her. "It was a little convenient that she told him after he broke up with her," he told her. "Considering she's had however long she's known about to tell him." She thought about it for a second, wiping a tear away. "It's suspicious, Celina, and I promise you, it won't last for long. The lie will catch up to her. I don't think she's pregnant in the slightest." She stared into his eyes. "I promise you. It won't last long." She nodded. "I hate seeing you like this, Celina. You're tougher than this. You're giving Michelle what she wants." He hugged her close. "Come on, you're Mark's Celina - nobody fucks with you, remember?"

Her body began to quake with laughter. She hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Shelton...I needed that."

"Good." He stood up, and extended his hand to her. "Now come on. I got pizza in the kitchen." She nodded and took his hand. He flashed a soft smile and he led her out into the kitchen for dinner.

"You're a hell of a cook," she commented with a smirk. He went into his cupboards and pulled out two plates and two glasses. She sat down. "So what happens if she is pregnant, Shelton?"

"I'm pretty sure she isn't, Celina, so I wouldn't be worrying about it." He grabbed two pieces of meat lovers pizza out of the box and putting it on a plate. She poured herself a glass of Pepsi. "Mark's only got what she's saying, and right now, unfortunately, the man should be realizing it's not worth a whole hell of a lot. But, I understand where he's coming from." She took a bite into a piece of deluxe pizza. "Just don't worry that beautiful head of yours about it. The truth always comes out...especially when she has to deliver the thing." Celina laughed.

"Bitch has lost her goddamn mind," Celina mused, sipping on her soda. "Does she really think shouting about a pregnancy is going to keep Mark with her in the long run?"

"With the way Michelle's been lately, I wouldn't be surprised if that was her fucked up way of thinking." They sat and ate. "How did you like Miz and Morrison?" he asked.

"They seem nice," she said. "I like how it's like a big family back there... well, for the most part."

"It can be. It depends on what mentality the people come in here with," he answered. "The best thing I can tell you is not to pay attention to it, Celina. You're a sweet woman, and I'd hate to see you get caught up with all the complicated bullshit here." She smiled.

"Mark told me the same thing." She shook her head, a sad smile crossing her face. He knew this entire situation was killing her. He finished a piece and started on the second one. They ate in silence. She had been in such an emotional tailspin since Michelle had announced her pregnancy, since Mark had been more or less forced to stay away from her. She had every reason in the world to be unhappy, and he wished that there was something that he could do to make her happy. He got an idea and his face lit up.

"Celina, after dinner, you have an hour to get ready."

"For what?"

"We're going out."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise. Just humor me."


	21. Drinking Like A Champion

**Twenty-One**

The club was packed when Shelton brought Celina in there a few hours later. She had been apprehensive about going out, but Shelton decided a few drinks and a night of fun would hopefully take her mind off of the situation with Mark and Michelle, if not for a little while. Even though she had been reluctant, Shelton had managed to win out in the end, and it wasn't even until they were in the car, halfway there that she agreed to go out. Shelton found it was absolutely heartwrenching for him to see her so upset, and in the last week of watching her sob uncontrollably it left him feeling agitated with Mark for even walking out on Celina like that. It didn't seem like Mark, and it only made Shelton wonder just what exactly Michelle threatened.

He was pretty sure she wasn't pregnant. The entire situation just didn't feel right to him, and he knew damn well it didn't feel right to Celina or Mark either. Michelle was looking to hurt Celina in any way possible, and this was the best shot she could have taken. He just hoped that Mark would figure out the truth soon. He wondered how Michelle was going to fake her way through morning sickness, through the growing belly. He was pretty sure she could pass on the moodswings front, because as far as he was concerned, the woman was insane.

Shelton looked over at Celina, who stood beside him, dressed in a strapless black minidress with a layered, pleated bottom. Taking one look at her, he never would have guessed that she had spent the last week in his guest room, crying her eyes out against a white pillow. Beside him at that moment, Celina looked amazing. He felt a surge of pride being able to say that a beautiful woman like Celina Cooper was on his arm tonight...even if she was just there as a friend.

"This way," he said softly into her ear. With a reassuring hand on her spine, he led her through the crowd of people and towards the bar. Jacob, the bartender on shift, spotted Shelton. Jacob and Shelton had gone to high school together; they had both been on the school's amateur wrestling team.

"Shelty, hey!" he shouted. "What's up?"

"Not too much, man. I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine. Celina, this is Jacob. Jacob, Celina Cooper." She extended her hand and shook his.

"I recognize you. Aren't you on TV?"

She nodded. "I'm still pretty new," she replied.

"Sure - you're that girl with the B.O.D."

"B.O.D.?"

"Brothers of Destruction," Shelton told her. Her mouth formed a silent "Ah" and she nodded. Shelton's face sank. Within fifteen minutes Mark had already been brought up. He was starting to contemplate whether or not taking her out in public was a good idea. After the initial thought, he knew that it was better to get her out of the house instead of having her cooped up inside, crying, moving around like she was lost, like her entire livelihood had just been ripped away from her.

"What can I get you guys to drink?"

"Usual, Jacob..." Shelton looked over at Celina. "What are you up for?"

"I could really use a shot of tequila." Jacob nodded and set about getting their drinks. Shelton shot her a look.

"Starting off a little bit heavy, aren't we?"

"The last month I've had - you better fucking believe it," she replied as he handed them their drinks. Shelton took a sip of his rum and Coke as Celina slammed back her tequila, grimacing as she slammed the glass back down on the wooden countertop of the bar. He knew that drinking was only a short-term solution to a huge problem, but he knew that he owed it to Celina to let her get good and loaded after everything that had happened. She ordered another shot, and he knew that he needed to keep himself at least half sober to look out for her throughout the night. But tonight was about her. It was about letting her have some fun, and getting her mind off of the stress that had been plaguing her.

The night wore on and he found out Celina could drink like a champion, shooting back round after round of tequila. Slowly through the night, she loosened up, becoming more candid and open. It had been so long since she had really sat down and drank. She used to drink before she went onstage all the time; something to take the edge off when the leering men were clamoring for blood on the other side of the curtain. Despite her heavy drinking, Shelton was still nursing his first drink, taking little sips to keep her pacified that he was still drinking with her, but staying sober enough so that he could take care of her and drive her home when the night was over.

"I didn't think you could put back that much liquor, Celina," he replied, incredulous at the shot glasses that cluttered the little table they sat at in the back of the bar. She laughed.

"You have no idea. I'm a Texan, Shelton," she slurred. She heard "One Word" by Kelly Osbourne start up and she grabbed Shelton's arm. "Let's go dance! I love this song!" she shouted excitedly. Shelton couldn't stop the smile from crossing his face as he slowly stood and allowed her to lead him into the sea of people. At least she was enjoying herself; she hadn't uttered Mark or Michelle's name in a little over an hour, and she was loosening up to the point where she was just happy and carefree. That was what he wanted. It had been too much to see her cry in his guest room. He could still feel the tears against his skin and hear her sobs reverberating in his ears. He knew that he never, ever wanted to see her in pain. She deserved so much better than that.

Her movements were fluid, amazing. Shelton tried to keep his thoughts off of Celina's past, but as she stood before him, swaying about in her minidress, his mind kept trailing off.

Halfway through about their fourth song on the dance floor, she burst into tears. Shelton leaned forward. "Celina, hon, what's the matter?"

"I...I don't know," she cried. "I just..." she began to sob uncontrollably and he held onto her tightly. "I miss Mark."

He hugged her. "Hey, hey," he told her, pulling back. "I told you not to worry, Celina. The truth will come out soon. I promise."

"Shelton...I want to go home..." she burrowed her head into his chest. "I think I'm going to be sick." He nodded, and with a gentle hand around her wrist, led her off of the dance floor and towards the exit. When they had made it outside to the parking lot, to his car, she began to cough and he stopped behind her, pulling her hair back as she threw up. He rubbed her back with his other hand soothingly as she sobbed between heaves. He opened the car door for her and rolled down the window, making sure she was secure and comfortable in the car before closing the door as she began to slowly drift into the realm of semi-consciousness as she cried softly. She had consumed a lot of tequila; he was amazed it hadn't hit her sooner.

He climbed into the driver's side and buckled his seatbelt. Celina sat up straighter and turned to him. "Shelton?"

"Yeah, Celina?"

"I appreciate what you were trying to do tonight..." she began to cough again and she turned and opened the car door and got sick again. Shelton shook his head; she was definitely going to feel it in the morning. He couldn't help it; he smirked. He wondered if she was going to remember how much she drank. He couldn't even recall the last time he had seen one of the guys put away that much tequila.

When she finished, she closed the door and laid back in the seat, closing her eyes. Shelton started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, driving back towards the house as she passed out in the passenger's side, the cold air whipping her hair around her face, her head moving softly with each bump in the road.

When he pulled into the driveway of his house, he left her in the car momentarily to unlock the front door. She was passed right out, unaware that the car had stopped. He contemplated waking her up, but realized that she probably needed the sleep. He was worried about her getting sick in her sleep and choking. He went back to the car and pulled her out, kicking the door shut behind him as he carried her up the driveway and into the house, kicking the door shut behind him. She looked like a drunken angel passed out in his arms. He took her into his room and laid her on the bed before working to unfasten the shoes off of her feet. He couldn't understand how women could wear such complicated contraptions on their feet. He pulled off her heels and put them on the floor before tucking her in under the blanket, laying on her side in case she got sick. He went into the kitchen and grabbed an ice cream bucket from under the sink and made his way back into the bedroom and put it down in front of the bed in case she woke up in the middle of the night. He went into the adjoining bathroom and got himself ready for bed. He was worried about her waking up in the middle of the night, or choking on vomit. She had drank steadily, and he thought she had been holding it well, but it had hit her quick. He hoped that at least she had some kind of fun.

He emerged from the bathroom and climbed in on the other side of the bed, shooting a glance at Celina. If anything happened to her in the middle of the night, he wanted to be sure that he was there to take care of her.


	22. Mark's Latenight Reflections

**Twenty-Two**

Mark lay in bed, staring at Michelle sleeping beside him, but unlike many nights before, found himself unable to smile at her. A child. The entire thing seemed so strange to him; the situation didn't sit right with him in the slightest. He had been furious when she had shouted it out in public, making an already fucked up situation even worse. He had been befuddled; after all, she had told him she was on the Pill. He had shaken his head; something didn't seem right; the entire claim reeked of desperation. But she had shown him a positive test back at the hotel, and he knew he had to be inclined to believe her. How often did the tests lie?

Her first order of business was telling him that he couldn't be seeing Celina outside of the ring. Even though he had insisted that she was more like his sister, she had threatened to see to it that he never saw their child if he broke her terms. He felt so stupid thinking about it now; he should have been thinking every time he laid her down in bed, but Michelle had seemed different. She had seemed honest, with a strong set of morals, values. But he should have known better judging by the circumstances in which their relationship started. There was nothing moral about the way she had come in, nipping at his earlobe, begging to be trained. She had made the first move; he had been so busy throwing himself into work, hoping not to think about the situation with Sara. She had been, and would always be, his kindred spirit. Sara had approved of the relationship with Michelle when she realized that Mark had felt a bit of guilt over what was happening. She promised not to use it against Mark in the divorce, but she was very, very weary of Michelle McCool, and how fast the woman had stricken her soon-to-be ex-husband. She had warned Mark to be careful, he had told her Michelle was a nice girl; how stupid could he have been? Sara was a woman who possessed a woman's intuition. And she was usually spot-on. Celina had even seen something, and he had been so foolish and ignored it.

Celina. He knew she was heartbroken, and he knew Shelton was pissed with him for hurting Celina the way that he had. He could only imagine how Celina was handling the entire situation. He knew he had fucked up bad, and she was probably nursing her pain with Shelton. He knew when the time came he was really going to have to make it up to her. She deserved a better friend. He had spent the last week wallowing in sorrow for all the pain he had caused his best friend. She deserved so much better after the years she had led. And he had hoped that he would be able to find her the happiness she so desperately craved.

His mind replayed the entire situation. Trying, in embarassment, to walk away from Michelle, only to have her scream her pregnancy out to everybody. Mark stopping in shock, and seeing the shock, surprise and horror all registered on Celina's beautiful features. Shelton had cocked an eyebrow, suspicious. Mark understood. How long had she known? She had been so elusive in answering his questions in the past week. She had faded back down into that old, All-American girl she thought she was now that Celina was no longer around. It was kind of creepy, and that said a lot for a guy who mastered the art of creepy in the last eighteen years.

He could only look at her and apologize to Celina, for failing her. For hurting her, for not being able to protect her from Michelle's antics. Celina had only stared at him in disgust, contempt, before taking off from the gym. Shelton had shot him the filthiest look before running out the door behind her, calling out to her. He smirked at the recollection. Shelton was in love with her; it was so obvious. Regardless of what either insisted. He had thought about running after Celina too, but Michelle had pulled him away and started emasculating him in front of everyone, laying down the law to him. It was humiliating, and his mind had been on Celina the entire time.

When he had arrived back at the hotel, Shelton had already been there, gathering Celina's things and leaving him a note that said she was going back to South Carolina with him. It had killed him to read that, but he understood. It was best to keep her as far away from Michelle as possible. But Mark knew that one of the bigger reasons was to keep Celina away from Mark. He had come to her rescue, he had always been there for her. But right now, he had hurt her in ways that couldn't even be imagined. She needed space until the situation blew over, however long it may last. This was his mess, and Michelle made it obvious that Celina wasn't allowed to be there to help.

Michelle was telling everybody that she and Mark were going to get married before the baby arrived. He wasn't sure where that idea had come from; he hadn't even bought her a ring, or given her the implication that he planned to get married. He had tried twice, had failed twice, and he was now realizing that maybe marriage wasn't something he was cut out for.

He pulled back the blankets and quietly got out of bed. He couldn't sleep. The feeling of sleeping beside her didn't feel right anymore. He decided to go downstairs and watch some sports. This was a strange situation to be in; he wanted to do right. He wanted to be there for the child...but how could he be with Michelle when the novelty of being with her had worn off? He chuckled; he felt as though he were in high school all over again. So much complicated bullshit.

He contemplated calling Celina while Michelle was asleep. But it was two in the morning and she was more than likely asleep. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she wanted to talk to him, or if Shelton would even allow him to speak to her. He had really fucked up, and the professional attitude he had taken to her at the SmackDown tapings last week had really, really hurt her. He remembered how she had tried to give him a hug, but he had spotted Michelle watching from a distance with Barbie, eyes narrowed, hand over her stomach as though to remind him that he was more or less between a rock and a hard place at the moment. He had to pull away and had hurt Celina so badly. The look of pain that had flashed in her eyes was something that he would never forget in a million years. He owed her so much.

There was an old boxing match on TV and he settled in his chair, watching the fight, thinking about the fine mess he had gotten himself into. When it all straightened out, he knew he had an even bigger mess to fix with Celina. He only hoped she would forgive him.

His mind's eye refused to let go of that image of her he had known for so long. She may as well have been his sister; she was always at his house, he was always at hers. Everyone had been apprehensive about him and Celina at first, because of the age difference at such a young age, but eventually, both sides realized that there was something fraternal between the two of them. Everything had eased up and the families had become almost like extended families. There had been so many moments between the two of them over the years that even the thought of losing it now scared Mark. How could he have hurt Celina like this? And even worse, just how the hell was he going to make it up to her when the time came? Shelton was becoming increasingly protective of Celina, and he knew Shelton would give him an adventure to get to Celina. And it wasn't anything against Shelton; he understood. If the shoe were on the other foot, Mark knew that it would be a miracle if Shelton was still breathing. There was something about her, something so vulnerable that screamed to be protected. She captivated a lot of people.

He sighed, trying to push the worried thoughts that plagued his brains. Tapings were in a few days and he'd try to figure out a situation to his problem then. But he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Whatever he did, he had a child to think about. And that was definitely going to affect his decision.


	23. The Morning After

**Twenty-Three**

Celina rolled over and was surprised to feel the skin of somebody else beside her. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Shelton's back to her. She sat up, momentarily in a panic, pulling up the covers, relieved to find she was still wearing her dress.

"Relax," she heard Shelton mumble. "We didn't sleep together."

She put a hand to her forehead. It was pounding. "What the fuck happened last night?" she asked. He rolled over and sat up, the covers falling to his waist, exposing his muscular torso. He chuckled.

"It wasn't that eventful. You didn't try to take advantage of me or anything," he told her, getting out of bed and making his way into the adjoining bathroom. He opened the medicine cabinet and tossed her a bottle of asprin. She caught it. "You just drank a hell of a lot of tequila and wound up getting sick. You're in here because I wanted to be here in case you got sick or choked on your vomit or something. That's all." She nodded, a small smile crossing her face.

"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you, Shelton." He stroked her hair.

"I'll go get you some water and you can take a few of those. Should make you feel better." She nodded and he took off down the hallway. She thought about moving, but she felt as though death warmed over. She peered over the side of the bed. The ice cream bucket was empty, the floor was clean, and she sighed in relief. She felt a slight blush of embarassment crawl up her neck and cheeks as she slightly recalled throwing up in front of Shelton.

"Real glamorous, Celina," she murmured to herself as Shelton returned with a glass. She opened the bottle and took two asprins, sipping the water he had given her. She flopped back down on the pillow.

"If it's any consolation, you're not the first Diva to throw up in front of me," he told her. She groaned and he laughed. "You needed a night out, Celina. If it's any consolation, I've never seen any of our guys put away liquor like that." She laughed. "And, you're a hell of a dancer."

She laughed. "I could only imagine what was running through _your_ head," she told him. He smirked, his entire body quaking with laughter. "I wish I could compliment your moves, but seriously, I can't even remember..." She shook her head. She remembered she had started crying before she got sick. Her expression fell and she shook her head.

"What's the matter, Celina?"

"I ruined your night last night, didn't I?" she asked. She shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "I remember I started crying, and we left..."

"Hey - hey," he told her, sitting down in front of her on the bed. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Look, last night wasn't about me. It was about you. And making you feel better. At the end, it didn't work out so well, I'll admit, but, for a little while there you were happy, and that was the important thing." He smiled. "Don't you even worry about Michelle McCool. We'll catch her in her lie, and then we'll throw her to Vince. But Mark has to make things up to you for the way he's been acting. He's his own person, Celina, and I know this is hurting him, and I know he still loves you as though you were his little sister. But he screwed up here."

"I know," she answered. She shook her head. "It's amazing how one bitch can make things so complicated. I just...I want to slam her face into something repeatedly, Shelton. I've just...I've never felt such rage for somebody before." She shook her head. "If I find out she's lying to Mark, I'll fucking kill her, Shelton."

"I won't hold you back, Celina," he told her. "Now, come on. Let's get you up. You can fix yourself up and I'll make breakfast. I thought maybe you and I would go play some pool tonight before we leave for the tapings tomorrow." She smiled.

"You know we don't have to go out all the time," she told him with a laugh. He smirked.

"It's nice to have someone to do this all with. Alexa didn't want to do anything with me." She smiled and nodded.

"I think pool sounds good. I haven't played in a lot of years though."

"I'll give you some pointers. Now get yourself up and dressed. You are so not laying in bed all day, hangover or not. You did enough of that this week." He smiled at her and left the bedroom and made his way towards the kitchen.

Celina pulled back the blankets and gathered her heels at the foot of the bed. She was grateful he had thought of taking them off. She stood and made her way into the guest room and got herself dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt adorned with a gold glittering WWE Divas logo. She tied her hair back in a sloppy ponytail and she packed up her bag. She knew that tomorrow she would have to leave. Shelton had been so wonderful to her since she had first met him, and she wasn't even sure there was any way she could ever repay him. He certainly didn't need to be so nice to her, and despite everything he was going through, he was still helping her through all of her problems. And he didn't complain. For that, she was eternally grateful.

Shelton watched her saunter in the kitchen and take a seat in front of the counter. He even had to admit, she looked incredible in spite of having a killer hangover. He was making pancakes, and Celina sat and watched, her head rested in her hand, a sad smile on her face the entire time. Taking one look at her, Shelton decided that he was going to make it his personal mission to prove that Michelle is lying about everything. And when that happened, he would be more than relieved to see the smile return to Celina's face.


	24. Surprise!

**Twenty-Four**

The arena was crowded with people backstage, waiting for a glimpse of Mark, Glen, Shelton and the other Superstars and Divas that comprised SmackDown and ECW when Shelton and Celina arrived Tuesday night. Celina was dressed in a black halter dress, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder as Shelton led her into the arena in silence. A few fans heckled his hair. Celina shot him a smirk, but with one look she knew better than to join in. She bit her lip in a mock pout and entered the arena. She spotted Barbie talking to Michelle and she went in the opposite direction. She could feel Michelle smirking at her from behind her back. The self-satisfied bitch. Celina knew she was lying. It was all a matter of proof. And how Celina was going to get her hands on some concrete proof.

She went into the Divas locker room. Lisa, Nattie, Kara, Layla and Eve were all there. They stopped and turned to see Celina. They all knew what was happening. They had heard and read about the entire situation that had gone down in the gym that day. They all wanted to run and comfort Celina; they were all incredulous of Michelle's attitude. But Celina made it obvious that she was a big girl and their comfort, while appreciated, wasn't going to do them any good.

Michelle walked in, a self-satisfied smile on her face as the Divas stared at the self-proclaimed "All American Diva" in disgust. "Could you ladies, leave?" she replied, her voice sickly sweet. "I'd love to talk to Celina in private."

"There's no way in hell we're leaving you alone with her," Nattie retorted, standing behind Celina. Michelle shot a look at Celina, but Celina shook her head, her face contorted into a disgusted snarl.

"Celina, you really are pathetic," Michelle started. The Divas went to speak in Celina's defense, but Celina held up a hand, motioning for them to stay silent. Celina noticed Kara standing off in a corner, watching Michelle with a scowl on her face. "You know, you figure that you can snap your fingers and Mark will come running to you. You call like a thief in the middle of the night and expect him to drop everything and help you. You string him along, and you expect all of us to believe that nothing's going on? And then you wonder why there are whispers and rumors backstage?

"Well, let me tell you this right now, direct from me to you: I've won the war, Celina. And so long as I'm _pregnant_ -" she added extra emphasis and reveled in Celina's flinch, "Mark will be staying away from you. He's going to be doing what's right for this baby, and the first thing that's right to do is to stay away from skanked up little whores like you..."

Celina's hand flew again and this time the smack was louder than the last one. Michelle's face flared red instantly with a thick, red handprint. The Divas locker room silenced. Kara's face was dropped in shock.

Celina took a menacing step towards Michelle. "Just because you're 'pregnant', doesn't mean I can't slap you across that fat, stupid mouth of yours," she snarled. Celina felt hands on each shoulder, ready to restrain her if need be. "You may think you've got everyone fooled, Michelle, but I see right through you. Bitches like you are a dime a dozen. And when I prove that you're lying through those perfectly veneered little teeth of yours, Mark's going to throw you right out on your implants...and then we'll see who the skanked up little whore is."

Michelle scowled, realizing that Celina had one upped her again. She thought about attacking Celina, but the looks the Divas were shooting were telling her it would be better to go run off and cry to Mark. She backed away, tripping slightly over a duffel bag. "This isn't over," Michelle snapped, pointing menacingly at Celina.

"You're damn right, bitch - we're just getting started," she raged. Michelle was momentarily taken aback, but she stormed out of the Divas locker room. After a few minutes of silence, watching Celina seethe, Lisa walked over with her cell phone.

"Any girls want an instant replay?" Celina's snarl faded into a laugh.

"Lisa, you fucking taped that?"

"Your damn right," Lisa replied. "I only wish I got the first time you capped the bitch."

"You'd figure she'd quit calling me a whore by now," Celina mused.

"So why'd you hit her the first time?" Kara asked. Celina stared over at her.

"What did Michelle tell you?"

"She told me that you had basically flown out of nowhere and beat her down. You left a hell of a shiner on her too."

"Deserved it. I caught her screaming at Mark. I went to stick up for him, she accused me of fucking him, called me a whore, and I slapped her. Mark agreed she was out of line, and so did Shelton."

"Speaking of which..." Layla asked, "What is up with you and Shelton?"

"I'm staying with him until this bullshit with Mark straightens out." She shook her head. "I know what you're all thinking, but it's not like that with Shelton and I."

"What's it like?"

"We're friends," Celina replied. She smiled. "He's been absolutely amazing. I really don't know where I'd be without him." She went to her duffel bag and gathered a black corset top and a black miniskirt.

"Do you want it to be more?" Nattie asked, sitting down on a chair. Kara and Lisa were off in a corner, watching a replay of Celina's hit on her phone.

"Would you shut that shit off?" Celina laughed. Lisa smiled.

"I've got a better idea," Lisa replied. "Celina, got your cell phone handy?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Let's send this to Mark."

"What? Me slapping Michelle? He's seen it before."

"No, silly," Lisa replied with a grin tugging at her lips, "I got her little spiel...got yours too...so...let's send it off to him."

Celina handed Kara her cell phone and they went through it for Mark's number. "You think she's lying about her pregnancy?"

"I know she's lying about her pregnancy," Celina replied. "It's just a matter of finding proof."

"She's going clubbing with Barbie and Lena tonight," Kara announced. The girls turned to her in surprise. "If there's any chance that you guys could catch her doing anything, I'm assuming it would be there."

Celina cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you like Michelle's best friend?"

"I haven't really been talking to her in the last few weeks. She's been so...creepy," Kara replied. The other Divas nodded.

"They used to call me the crazy one," Lisa replied, "I would never in a million years pull what she's pulling. Especially with the company."

"She's only getting leeway cause she's fucking Mark," Nattie replied bluntly. Kara was a little surprised by the language, but Celina just laughed.

"I wonder what's going to happen when she starts showing," Celina mused with a smirk.

"You really don't think she's pregnant?" Kara asked. Celina shook her head.

"Clear cut desperation tactic. I almost didn't think about it, but Shelton brought up a great point: she brought it up_ after_ Mark broke up with her."

"Mark broke up with her?" Kara asked. Celina nodded.

"Well, tried to. Then she announced she had a demon festering in there." The Divas laughed. Celina was not subtle in her hatred for Michelle.

"I got to head out to the ring," Eve said. Layla and Lisa nodded. "We've got a best body contest on ECW."

"Have fun with that," Celina replied with a smirk. Lisa rolled her eyes and the girls filed out. Nattie wanted to go talk to Finlay, so she left, leaving Kara and Celina alone. Celina wasn't sure what to say.

"Celina, can I talk to you?" Kara asked.

"I'm right here."

Kara tightened her ponytail and sat down on a chair. She took a deep breath. "What's said between the two of us can't be said outside, okay?"

"You have my word, Kara. What's going on?"

She took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how to say it. And Celina looked just as tough as Mark, and it kind of frightened her. "Michelle's not pregnant."

"Well I know that. How are you sure?"

"Because...well...I am." Celina's eyes widened. "I'm a little embarassed to admit it. My parents don't even know. But I grew up a strict Catholic and well, my boyfriend just broke up with me. I haven't even told Vince yet. I haven't been here for very long, and I'm scared my career is over."

"What does this have to do with Michelle?" Celina asked.

Kara took a deep breath. "I think she stole my pregnancy test."


	25. A Talk With Glen

**Twenty-Five**

Mark had to stifle his laughter as he made his way to the stage area. He had gotten video of Celina slapping Michelle in front of all the Divas. He shook his head; sometimes Michelle didn't know when to quit.

He spotted Celina, standing with Glen, laughing and chattering. She silenced when Mark approached. It had felt like forever since she had spoken to him, and it was killing him. It was a crazy situation that he was in. "You guys ready to go?" Celina just stared at him, her eyes stabbing through him. Her glare alone told him that he had messed up; but she turned on her heels and walked away. Mark shot a look at Glen, who only shrugged and followed her. With an exapserated sigh, Mark followed.

The lights went out, the pyrotechnics and lightning clapped and Celina stepped out first, stopping at the middle of the stage as Mark and Glen stalked out, their faces grim.

Mark couldn't focus on what was happening. Sure, he was a professional, and a veteran, but his best friend was less than five feet away from him and she hated him more than life itself at the moment. He watched her, not even staring back at him to shoot him a reassuring look, or looking for him to give her reassurance. Things had become so strained. He needed to think of a way to get through this, and to keep Celina and Michelle pacified. But he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Not with Michelle's pregnancy. Everything still seemed suspicious to him.

He couldn't believe that Michelle had gone to Celina, in an attempt to rub everything in her face. He could hear Lisa's voice in the background, and he assumed the video came from her. He didn't recognize the number.

Celina climbed onto the ring apron and made her way into the ring, raising her arms as Mark and Glen took their places beside her. Mark went to take her hand, but subtly, she moved it away. It was subtle enough so that only he noticed, and not so much the crowd. He took a deep breath. She was mad. There was no two ways about it. She had every right to be. He had come to her rescue, trying to be her hero, and he was failing miserably. He had subjected her to loads of abuse, to Michelle's jealous, ugly, spiteful banter and personal attacks. And when Michelle had gotten out of hand, once she had stated she was pregnant, he had turned his back on her to deal with Michelle. He hadn't called her; fought every instinct to call her and make the situation first. He couldn't fault her in the slightest for being pissed off with him. If he were in her shoes, he would have been kicking his ass. She deserved so much better.

Glen whispered something to Celina and Celina nodded, and exited the ring. Mark took his place beside Glen. "What did you tell her?" he inquired.

"I told her I wish there was a cure for foot in mouth disease, because I hate watching you suffer." Mark fought the urge to smile and shook his head, biting the insides of his cheeks. _Fucking Glen,_ he thought as he slid off his trenchcoat and slowly took off his hat. His sense of humor was not helping the situation.

The match was against Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, and Edge and Vickie would be watching from the top of the ramp. The plan was for the Familia to come out to the ring and attack the brothers, and for Celina to take a spear from Edge by order of Vickie Guerrero.

The match went fine, smoothly, with Vickie's watchful eye on Celina as she cheered them on from ringside. She scoured around the ring area to see Bam Neely and Chavo Guerrero slide into the ring, jumping on Mark and Glen as the bell rang, signaling a disqualification. Edge bolted down to the ring as Hawkins and Ryder slid out of the ring, sandwiching themselves between Celina. Hawkins grabbed her and threw her into the ring. She stood as Mark was tangled in the ropes and Glen was being triple teamed by Chavo, Neely and Ryder. Edge was against the corner, motioning for Celina to stand. When she turned around, Adam ran full force, hitting Celina with a spear. The only problem was that she wasn't far enough away from the corner, and as she fell, her head bounced off the turnbuckle. Adam tried to hide the shock; he didn't want to hurt her. Mark had to hide the concern on his face with a murderous scowl; she wasn't ready to take spots yet. He couldn't figure out why creative would throw Celina into the snake pit like that.

Adam looked up at the top of the stage where Vickie was sitting with a sadistic smile on her face. He knew that the cameras were going to focus on her smiling and clapping in adulation as SmackDown faded out. He paraded around with the Familia before leaving the ring and rejoining Vickie before disappearing. Glen sat up and helped Mark out of the ropes. Celina knew better than to stand, instead laying on the canvas and keeping her eyes closed to sell the shot. She felt two arms lift her up, and she peered through her lashes to see Glen carrying her out of the ring. She was thankful it was Glen. Mark was right beside him, staring down at her, but she refused to make eye contact with him. Once they got backstage, he'd run off to help Michelle again.

She thought about what Kara had told her. About Michelle stealing her pregnancy test. What woman would want to steal a pregnancy test? _A desperate bitch, _thought Celina bitterly as Glen put her down backstage. Shelton rushed over.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "I saw you hit your head."

"I'm fine. It kind of hurts." Mark was about to say something, but he heard Michelle call out to him. She scoffed, shooting Mark a disgusted look. He wanted to speak, but Glen motioned for Mark to just go to Michelle. To avoid another potentially explosive situation. Celina shook her head. Shelton was scowling at Mark's retreating figure, and shooting murderous glares at Michelle.

"What are you doing tonight?" Shelton asked.

"Lisa invited me out to go clubbing with Layla and Lena, so I thought I'd do that."

"Well, then have fun," he told her. "I'll see you when you get back to the hotel." She nodded and they slapped hands into a hug before he took off down the hall to track down Kofi Kingston and Elijah Burke. Knowing Elijah and Kofi, it meant that Shelton was in for a night of rigorous gaming. She turned her attention back to Glen.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. He felt the back of her head for any sign of a lump. "Good sign - I don't feel a bump."

She smiled. "I'm fine, Glen," she replied. "I just can't believe all the bullshit that's happening." Glen nodded.

"Eventually it'll get straightened out. I can't imagine that Vince is all that impressed with her."

"I can't imagine he's all that impressed with me, either," Celina answered. Glen put a reassuring arm around her shoulder and began to walk her towards the Diva's locker room.

"Vince is very impressed with you. For a beginner, you're picking up quick. That's more than a lot of these Divas could say, and Vince is happy about that. You've been standing up for yourself; otherwise you haven't been a problem. Vince was just telling me that he sees a lot of potential for you long term."

"Really? He said that?"

"Vickie and Shane say the same thing." There was a silence. "Is there any way Mark's going to be able to make this up to you, Celina? I hate seeing you two like this. I've never seen Mark so distraught."

"I don't see why he should be so distraught," Celina retorted coldly, "He was the one who decided to follow after her and buy into her bullshit."

"Celina, he's pretty sure she's not. But she showed him her test..."

"No, bitch showed him _Kara's_ pregnancy test." Glen's eyes widened. "That's between you and I. Kara hasn't told anyone. She's pretty sure that Michelle took her test. Glen...how the hell am I going to prove she's not pregnant?"

"I'll keep my eyes out," Glen assured her. "You keep your eye out." He hugged her. "Just understand that Mark is afraid of the possibility that she _is_ pregnant. She told him if he sees you, she would see to it that he never saw the child again. He feels like he's in a bad position right now, and I don't envy either of you a bit. Just take it easy on him, Celina; the man feels bad enough." Celina nodded. "Just go have your fun tonight, Celina. Get your mind off of this. If I hear anything, I'll let you know." She nodded.

"Thanks, Glen. I appreciate it." She pushed open the door and disappeared after flashing him a smile. She needed to get ready to go out. Glen was right. She had to stop thinking about it. But something told her that Michelle would fuck up pretty soon. And when she did, Celina would be waiting.


	26. Caught at the Bar

**Twenty-Six**

Dressed in an emerald green halter minidress with an empire waistline, Celina entered the club with Lisa, Layla and Lena. Layla was dressed in black vinyl pants with a black corset top, her hair straightened and styled around her face. She was all smiles, shouting and laughing as she made her way immediately to the dance floor. Lena was close behind her, dressed in a small black pleated miniskirt and a black sleeveless belly top. She was shouting for Layla to wait for her as she pushed through the crowd. Lisa and Celina walked towards a table and slid into the booth. A thin, orange-haired waitress stopped by and the girls ordered a pina colada. When she disappeared, Lisa let a low whistle escape her lips.

"What?" Celina asked.

"Look what the cat coughed up," she murmured. Celina turned her head to see Michelle arrive with Maryse, Barbie and Eve. Celina's head turned away quickly.

"Fuck, and I was looking for a peaceful night." Celina shook her head. "I can't believe all the bullshit she's caused me in the last little while." Lisa shook her head.

"Goes to show you that even the most beautiful of people do the ugliest of things."

"One of life's important lessons," Celina replied as the waitress returned with their drinks. Celina took a sip.

"So what's it like living with Shelton?"

"It's been great. He's fantastic. I really appreciate everything he's done. He's been a tremendous friend."

"You know what I think?" Celina groaned.

"I thought I smelled smoke, Lisa," she murmured. "What were you thinking?"

"I think Shelton Benjamin has the hots for you."

Celina scoffed. "Right."

"And you want to know what else I think?"

"What?"

"I think you're seriously digging him too." Celina took a sip of her pina colada. Lisa smirked. "I don't hear you denying it."

"And you won't," Celina answered. "I think he's fucking hot." Lisa just about spit out her drink. "What? It doesn't mean I'm going to drag him into a broom closet and jump his bones!"

Lisa laughed. Her face dropped. "Michelle's pregnant, isn't she?"

"So she says," Celina smirked. "Why?"

"Why's she taking shots of Jack then?" Lisa fumbled through her purse for her cell phone. "A woman like Michelle would definitely know better than to drink while pregnant." She quickly turned on her camera and started taping Michelle. Celina pulled out her cell phone and smiled, quickly dialing Mark's number. It felt strange, but she knew that he needed to know.

He picked up the phone. "What, Michelle?"

"Mark, it's Celina."

"Celina?" His voice went into a hush. "Are you sure you should be calling me? Michelle..."

"Michelle won't be back from her girl's night for a while."

"Girl's night? Michelle said that she was going back to the hotel because she didn't feel too good."

"I'm sitting in a club with Lisa and Michelle, Eve, Barbie and Maryse are with her. Lisa's videotaping her taking JD shots as we speak."

Mark exhaled. "What club are you at?"

"Flashback's."

He took a deep breath. "I'll be right there." He hung up. She hung up and smiled. "Mark will be right here."

"So what do we do now?" Lisa asked, snapping her phone shut. Celina sipped her pina colada.

"We sit back and we enjoy the show." She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back, a wide smile crossing her face. "She really fucked up now."

"I can't help but wonder what Vince thinks about this situation."

"Glen said he's not impressed in the slightest."

"I can only imagine," Lisa replied. "One of his top Divas is making the company look bad with her dramatic bullshit. It's what happens when you try to make a Diva Search reject into a full-fledged Diva." Celina laughed.

For the next twenty minutes, every time the door opened, the ladies' eyes gazed for any sign of Mark. He wouldn't be hard to miss. Lena and Layla eventually rejoined them and they each ordered a Cosmo when Mark finally stalked through the door. He was in a foul mood. Glen was right behind him, as was Paul Wight. With two seven foot men behind him, Celina knew that Michelle would be foolish to fuck with Mark.

"Lisa, got your camera ready?" Lena teased. Lisa pulled out her phone.

"In two shakes of a lamb's tail I will. Would you guys be fine with me posting this stuff on YouTube?"

"I'd rate that video five stars every time," Celina replied with a laugh. The girls toasted their Cosmos and Celina took over filming. The look on Michelle's face was priceless as Mark stood in front of her. She could only imagine what Mark's expression would have been like.

She wished she could hear what Mark was saying to her. She wished that she was at that table, or at least a fly on that wall. His arm shot out and grabbed Michelle. The other Divas were too scared to say a word as he dragged Michelle out of her seat and towards Celina's table. Celina quickly shut the phone and slid it over to Lisa.

Michelle's face contorted into a snarl. He smirked at Celina. "Thanks for the call."

"Anytime, Mark," she replied, holding Michelle's psychotic gaze. Mark began to drag her out of the club, with Celina standing behind her, waving with a pleasant smile on her face. They went through the doors, while Paul and Glen sat down with the Divas. They knew better than to go outside and deal with Mark and Michelle.

The girls all sipped on their Cosmos. Michelle's pregnancy scare was officially blown up. All it would take now was a confirmation test, and she was almost certain that was coming.

She sipped her Cosmo. Something told her that this wouldn't be the last time she'd have to deal with Michelle McCool. She was almost certain her troubles were about to pick up. But she was ready for it. _Bring it on,_ she thought, toasting the girls to a successful SmackDown and taking a sip.


	27. Pillow Talk

**Twenty-Seven**

Celina slid the keycard into the slot in the door and made her way back into the hotel room. She was pleasantly buzzed from her night out of drinking with the girls. Shelton was semi-asleep, drifting into the realm of unconsciousness, but still aware of Celina's entrance into the room. He rolled over and sat up in his bed. "Celina?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, shit," she murmured, sitting down on her bed. "I didn't wake you, did I?" She unbuckled her heels and began to pull them off.

He shook his head. "No, I just laid down. How was your night with the girls?"

"You wouldn't fucking believe it. Michelle is such an idiot!"

"Why?"

"She showed up with a few of the girls and starting doing shots." Shelton propped himself up on an arm, cocking an eyebrow incredulously.

"Are you fucking serious?"

"I guess she didn't get the memo that the girls and I were heading over there. So, anyway, Lisa taped the proof and I called Mark. He showed up with Glen and Show and proceeded to pull Michelle out of the bar. After that, I have no fucking clue about what happened." She went to her duffel bag and rifled through for pajamas. She found a spaghetti-strapped white cotton nightgown.

"What an idiot," Shelton chuckled. He couldn't take his eyes off of Celina at the moment. Green really suited her. The dress was phenomenal. "Maybe she had a few before she hit the bar." Celina laughed.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Celina replied, making her way into the bathroom and closing the door. He could hear her voice through the door. "You should have seen the look on Mark's face when he saw her taking a shot. Man, I haven't seen that look on him in years."

"You've been on the receiving end of that look?"

The bathroom door opened and Celina emerged, her clothing bunched under her hands. "Of course. There's been a few times where I've felt the wrath of the Deadman. It's not pretty. You can tell it wasn't Michelle's first time, either. Bitch was scared shitless. I could imagine it wasn't a pretty sight."

"I'd imagine not." He was trying to keep his eyes from wandering. She looked fantastic. Even in her pajamas.

She crawled under her blankets and laid down on the bed, rolling onto her side and facing Shelton. Shelton settled back down.

"Was that dress new?" he asked. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I made a stop after the gym with Lisa this afternoon. I wanted something new to wear to the club with the girls tonight."

"I think it looks fantastic on you." He could see her smiling, even though a soft scoff escaped her lips.

"Thanks. I'll remember that." Shelton felt like an idiot. He knew something was up with him. He felt a little guilty complimenting her; Alexa had tried calling him a few hours ago; she left him a voicemail saying that she was sorry for everything. That she wanted another shot. But the truth was that he didn't want a part of it. The truth was, his thoughts of Alexa were starting to fade into obscurity. With each passing day he spent with Celina, he felt like he was with a friend. He was so comfortable with her. He wondered if this was what Mark felt like when he was with Celina. Minus the entire attraction he felt, of course.

"How are you feeling tonight?"

"Me? Outside of a little buzzed, I'm fine," she answered honestly. "I know that things will pick up with Michelle, but right now, I'm just so happy to know that she fucked up so carelessly. She really is an idiot."

"So what happens when Mark tries to settle with you, Celina? Are you going to be okay? Do you want me there for that?"

She smiled. "I appreciate the offer, Shelton, but I can take care of Mark. I know you think he's like some big, bad ogre, but he really is just a big teddy bear."

"Mark Calaway? The Undertaker? A teddy bear?" He smirked. "Yeah, right. I'd like to see how much of a teddy bear he was if I ever said that about him." Celina laughed.

"I'm afraid Mr. Benjamin can't hear you, Celina - he's comatose." They both laughed. "Mark's not that bad."

"Are you going to be able to forgive him? He really hurt you, Celina."

"I will, Shelton. You think Michelle's bad, you should have seen half of the girls he dated in high school." They laughed. "I'm not saying Mark has a bad taste in women...but stupid women have a tendency to throw themselves at him."

"It was like that in high school?"

"Believe it or not, Mark was not always a scary goth," she replied. "When I met him, he was just some tall behemoth wanting to play basketball." She took a deep breath. "God, that was so long ago." He could hear her body shift on her mattress. "When I started dating, he used to terrorize my boyfriends."

"You serious?"

"He was that height by the time I met him. It wasn't hard for Mark to intimidate people. He'd just square his shoulders and give them that Deadman Stare." Shelton laughed. "Oh, come on. You know the stare."

"Yeah, and it's scary as hell," Shelton agreed. "So how did you lose touch with him?"

"He got into wrestling. He traveled all the time, and my life went in another direction. Contact started becoming infrequent, and then it just kind of stopped. By that time I was off somewhere in this country, and Mark was somewhere in this country, and time just kind of eluded us."

"Did it ever bother you?"

"Of course it did. Mark's like my brother. It's like losing touch with family." She smirked; he could see her lips curve in the dark. "It's so funny. I came home, and there was that...whore...with Reid on the couch...and the only thing I could think of was to call Mark."

"You had his number after all these years?"

"I guess so," she answered. "I didn't think it would work. But he answered. I couldn't stop crying at my luck. He was in the area, I guess doing a show, or at Michelle's or whatever, and he came and got me. No questions asked. As always."

"He's bailed you out of jams before?" She took a deep breath.

"I, uh, one night, snuck out of my house and went to this party. Liquor, guys. You know, all the good stuff your parents warn you against. I just couldn't help it. I wanted to go so bad, and they wouldn't let me. I was fifteen at the time. They knew exactly what kind of party it was. The girl, Sophie, her parents had gone away for a week, and she was throwing a huge party. No chaperones, no go, my parents said. But I told her I was going to study at a friend's and I went.

"I was in over my head, somebody gave me some pot and some alcohol, and I was fucked up real fast. The guy tried to make a pass at me or something. I panicked and locked myself in a bathroom and called Mark. He came and got me, no questions asked. Stomped his way through the house, threatening to tear a few people up if they didn't tell him where I was.

"When he finally found me, I was trying to call his phone again. He got me out of there and took me out for dinner. He was trying to get the effects out of me before he took me home so that my parents wouldn't suspect anything. He didn't even judge me. He just told me that he was glad I called him before it got out of hand. He told me he wouldn't tell my parents, but to just watch myself and use better judgment next time. That was it. We drove around with the windows open to get the smell of pot and alcohol off of me and by the time he dropped me off, you never would have known."

She could sense Shelton smiling at her in the dark. "He seems to care about you a lot, Celina."

"In times of trouble, I've always had Mark around," she said. "And it just kills me to watch people take advantage of him because he's a great guy. I'm always comfortable going to him about everything. With Michelle it's been so hard...I wanted her to like me, Shelton. She was with Mark. I wanted her to approve of me. I wanted to live up to whatever Mark said about me. I know he thinks so highly of me...I just get so scared that when people see me, they'll think Mark's on something for thinking so highly of me. I'm not perfect."

"You're human," he told her. "And, to be honest, I think you're about as close to perfect as it can get. But we've got a flight to catch tomorrow, so I suggest you get some sleep. I sure am." He rolled over, his back facing her. She was genuinely touched by his words. She rolled over and tried to get to sleep. It was going to be impossible. Her mind was racing so fast. She knew in that moment of clarity though that everything was going to work itself out pretty quick. She'd see to it.


	28. I'm Sorry, Celina

**Twenty-Eight**

Mark stood outside the hotel room at dawn, staring down at his hands in sheer nervousness. Contemplating whether or not he should knock on the door. Michelle had admitted everything last night; how, out of desperation, she had stolen Kara's pregnancy test, and it was really Cherry who was pregnant and not Michelle. How her jealous, paranoia-induced insecurities had created a large rift between him and Celina, a rift that he hoped he could repair. The entire situation had just about killed him. He had lost out on so many troublesome years with Celina, and he wanted to be there for her as much as he could to make up for it all. Michelle was just so desperate to keep him that she was willing to grasp at any sort of straws to keep him there. This time, it backfired. And Mark felt an odd sense of relief at the entire situation.

He knocked on the door. With a deep breath, he waited. It had been a difficult night. He hadn't slept yet. He had broken things off with Michelle, leaving her in hysterics in the hotel room as he drove around, thinking about just how he was going to make all this up to Celina. She deserved better than what he had given her.

The door opened and Shelton stood before him. Shelton eyed him suspiciously. "Mark."

"Is Celina here?" he asked. "I really need to talk to her." Shelton stared at him for a moment. Mark knew that he had really taken to protecting Celina, and he appreciated it. But at the moment, he really didn't need Shelton's scrutnizing him.

Shelton stepped to the side. "She's just getting dressed, Mark. Come on in." Mark nodded and stepped inside. "I'm going to go get some coffee, and leave you to talk to her. What do you take in your coffee? You look like you could use one."

Mark nodded; he definitely could. "Just black." Shelton nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Mark sat down at the edge of her bed. He had never felt more nervous in his life. He had so much to apologize for, and he wasn't even sure how he was going to begin conveying that to Celina.

The bathroom door opened and Celina emerged, dressed in a white sweater and blue jeans, drying her hair with a white towel. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Mark at the foot of her bed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He tried to place what emotions were in her voice, but was having a hard time reading her reaction.He took a deep breath.

"I thought I'd come and talk to you. That all right?" She placed her towel on the countertop and made her way over to Mark. She leaned down in front of him and took a look at him. He looked rough.

"Jesus, Mark. Have you slept?" she asked. His eyes were slightly swollen and bagged. She could only imagine how much they had to be burning.

"Honestly?" he asked. She nodded. "No. It's been a long night." The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity. He took a breath. "Why'd you call, Celina? You could have just left me to figure it out for myself. You could have just let me sweat it out and be there to say, 'I told you so, dumbass' in the end."

She stroked a strand of hair out of his face. "Mark, I couldn't let you go through that. I couldn't let you be everyone's gullible fool here."

"I do appreciate it, Celina." He shook his head. "I don't think there's a damn thing that I can say that's going to make you feel any better. I fucked up. Plain and simple. And I more or less left you out to dry with Michelle. And I don't think I can make it up to you."

"I'm not asking you to make it up to me, Mark," she replied. "I'm not asking for an apology. I just want to know what happens with us from hereon in."

"If it's possible, I want us to stay just as close as ever. This entire situation's been killing me, Celina. I feel like I let you down, and it isn't right."

"No, it isn't," she agreed. "But that's not important. What happens with Michelle now?"

"Fucked if I care," Mark scoffed. "The crazy bitch admitted to stealing Cherry's pregnancy test."

"Oh, so she did," Celina replied, sitting down beside him on the bed. Mark stared at her in surprise.

"You knew?"

"Kara came to me last night, voicing a suspicion. I didn't have any proof. If Michelle hadn't started drinking last night, I would never have been able to prove my suspicions. I mean, it's all her word against mine...and who was going to take my word over Michelle McCool's?" He slung his arm over her shoulder and dragged her close to him. She rested her head on his broad shoulder.

"I owe you a lot, Celina," he told her. He took a deep breath. "I broke it off with Michelle last night. You know, I even think if she was pregnant, I wouldn't be able to handle being with her. Just...too clingy, too emotional...too...creepy." He smiled down at her. :You're my best friend, Celina, and to be honest...if any woman is going to come along, then she's pretty much going to have to like you, too. There's just no two ways about it. I can't stretch myself out like this."

"I don't expect you to," she murmured.

"I know." He hugged her tightly against him. "Just know I'm really sorry for hurting you like this, Celina."

She hugged him back. "I know you are, Mark." They stayed the way they were, encased in a comfortable silence until Shelton entered the room with coffees in hand.

Mark observed the way her face lit up when he walked into the room. He smirked. "Shelton Benjamin, you are my hero," she stated firmly as he handed her a cup of coffee. He handed one to Mark, who took it while offering a slight thanks.

"What are you guys up to today?" Mark asked. Celina smiled.

"I've got to meet up with Lisa. She's taking me shopping for some stuff for a Divas photo shoot. I guess they're itching to get some studio pics up on the website. Shelton and I have to catch a flight at about three, so it leaves me with enough time to get a pretty good wardrobe before the photoshoot Tuesday night."

"Shelton?"

"Not too much. Packing." Mark nodded. He was catching his flight back later tonight; after he was sure that Michelle was checked out and back on her way to Florida. He wasn't half as devastated as he thought he would be over the entire situation. He was just relieved that Celina was so understanding. If she told him to crawl across an acre of broken glass, he probably would have. She deserved it for his case of blindness.

He knew he wanted to talk to Shelton, though. There was something he was sensing between him and Celina, and it was driving him crazy. He sipped his coffee in silence, silently observing the comraderie between Celina and Shelton. There was something there. There wasn't a single person out there who could convince him otherwise.


	29. Out With Lisa

**Twenty-Nine**

Celina stepped out of the change booth, dressed in a black halter top with a rhinestone skull on the chest. Lisa smiled. "Girl, that shirt looks amazing!" she gushed as Celina did a full spin to model off her choice in clothing.

"What about the pants?" Celina asked, motioning down to the vinyl pants she was wearing. Lisa nodded and a slight grimace crossed Celina's face as she struggled to adjust the pants over her hips a little more. "How the hell can you women wear these night in and out?"

"It gets easier over time," Lisa assured her. They were standing in a local punk-rock clothing store called Right Hooks, looking for different outfits for Celina. Lisa had even found a few things for herself that she was going to use during SmackDown tapings and appearances, so the trip seemed to be working in the best interest of both Divas. "So, you and Mark back on the same page?"

Celina disappeared back into the change booth. "For now, I guess," she answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know...I guess I'm still a bit hurt. But I love Mark to death. I can't see losing his friendship over Michelle being a psychotic bitch."

"So she 'fessed everything up to Mark?"

"Apparently so. And he broke it off with her he said."

"I would have too. Crazy bitch," Lisa murmured. "So who's pregnancy test did she take?"

"I don't know," Celina lied. Outside of Mark, Shelton and Glen she hadn't divulged Kara's secret. She was still so confused. Celina knew that she was going to have to tell Vince soon. It would only be a matter of time before she started showing. She felt bad for Kara; she only hoped that she would find some sort of comfort in her situation.

Celina reemerged from the change booth, taking some of the clothing she had selected from Lisa. "Let's get out of here," she said. "I don't think I can handle anymore shopping. Want to header for a coffee before I have to go?"

"You know it," Lisa replied with a smile. They paid for their clothing and made their way towards Lisa's car. "So, how do you think Michelle reacted when Mark told her that she had to tell the truth?"

"She probably looked like a deer in the headlights," Celina laughed. "So did you ever post that video on YouTube?"

"Fuckin' A," Lisa replied. "I got fifty thousand hits already. About ten thousand five-star ratings of you slapping her out." Celina stared at her, expressionless.

"You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"I'll swear on a stack of Bibles I posted that shit on YouTube." Celina shook her head, laughing, as they got into Lisa's red rental convertible.

"You are too much for me sometimes, Lisa," Celina laughed, shaking her head.

"So how's things with Shelton?" Lisa asked. Celina smiled.

"Great. Did I mention he's amazing?"

"Several times." Celina blushed. "You are really into that guy aren't you?"

"I think I am," Celina admitted after a few moments. "At the same time, I'm just unsure if it's that rebound feeling because of what Reid did."

"Do you always analyze everything?" Lisa asked.

"I fade in and out," Celina answered. Lisa shook her head, a smile spreading across her features. "The truth is, I'm not sure if Shelton's interested in me anyway. I'm a few years older than him, for God's sakes!"

"One - trust me, Shelton is definitely interested in you, and two - age doesn't mean anything."

"You think Shelton is interested in me?"

"Fuck, it's obvious to everyone but you it seems like," Lisa replied. "I know Mark definitely notices." Celina groaned. "What?"

"Mark wanted to spend the afternoon with Shelton." Lisa let out an amused whoot.

"Shelton's got a date with the Deadman," Lisa laughed. Celina shook her head. "He's going to terrorize the poor kid," Lisa told her. Celina nodded.

"Mark's never been very good around the guys I know."

"What was it like with Mark meeting your boyfriends in high school?"

"Mark did _not_ meet any of my boyfriends in high school. He scared the shit out of everyone as it was. Last thing I needed was him giving that stare, growling, 'What the fuck do you think you're doing with Celina, boy?'"

Lisa laughed. "Sadly enough, I could see that. I guess he's always been protective of you, hasn't he?"

"Always. I don't know what it was, but the two of us...we were just drawn to each other like that. We look out for each other. It always drove us crazy that people thought we were dating. It would have been illegal for Mark to even have those thoughts at the time."

"So you two never dated? At all?"

"If only Michelle McCool understood that," she replied. "I've never slept with Mark, I've never dated Mark, I haven't even shot Mark a look of lust in almost two decades."

"But you did?"

"It was an innocent initial infatuation," Celina answered. "It faded pretty quick. Anyway, it's pretty obvious that I don't need to be dating Mark to have him wrapped around my finger." They both laughed. "I'm the same way with him, too."

"It's amazing you two are so close after so many years," Lisa commented. "So many people lose touch after high school." She shook her head as they pulled into the Starbucks parking lot. "You know, Celina, I think Michelle was just jealous of the relationship you have with Mark. She couldn't try and get him to open up if her life depended on it. She couldn't get him to light up half as much as he did for her and I'll bet you it ate her alive. I'll bet you it eats her alive that you helped Mark walk away from her. I'll bet you it drives her crazy to see that you're getting some success in the company with Mark while she's still toiling away in hopes of being on TV with him. She used to push Vince for that all the time?"

"When did it stop?"

"When Vince announced that you were coming on the road with Mark," Lisa replied as they got out of the car. "She just doesn't fit the Gothic image. You barely fit the Gothic image, but I think Vince needed something to stop Michelle's bitching." They both laughed as they made their way into the coffee shop for an afternoon frappe.


	30. A Date with the Deadman

**Thirty**

Shelton was trying to pack up his things before the flight, but he was most definitely distracted. He could feel the cold green eyes of The Undertaker on his back at the moment, nad it made him pretty uncomfortable. And it wasn't the gaze of Mark Calaway, this was a definite Undertaker vibe he was catching. Mark was sitting at the corner of Celina's bed, watching Shelton as he packed his things back into his big black and red duffel bag. The silence was unnerving. He felt as though he was going to crack under Mark's gaze. There was something about Mark watching him that just made him so paranoid. He tried his best to shrug it off, but he heard Mark stand to his feet and make his way over. He had been looking out a lot for Celina; he only hoped Mark would remember that and take mercy on him. He didn't want to die just yet.

"You and I need to talk," Mark drawled. Shelton felt his nerves twitch. He was trying his best to hide the fear that threatened to consume him. He knew Mark would totally run him into the ground if he showed any sign of fear.

"What about?" Shelton managed to inquire as he went into the bathroom and gathered some of his things.

"Celina."

Shelton stopped and looked in the mirror for a second, and took a deep breath. He emerged, back into Mark's view. "What about her?"

"What do you think you're doing with her?"

"Mark, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, and I think it's in your best interest to be as cooperative as possible with me here." Shelton nodded. He kind of knew better than to pussyfoot around something with Mark Calaway. But he wasn't sure how psyched he was to talk to Mark about Celina.

"What do you want to know?"

"Are you in love with Celina?"

Shelton froze for a moment, but continued to pack. Mark was impatient. "I'm waiting for your answer, Shelton."

Shelton contemplated his answer. He wasn't about to lie to Mark, but the truth was that he wasn't even sure about how he was feeling. "You plan on running to Celina with this shit?"

"This is man talk, Benjamin," Mark retorted. "Answer the question."

Shelton took a deep breath. "I think so, Mark," he answered.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, you think so?" Mark scoffed. "It's not a hard question, Shelton. Either you do or you don't."

"Were you always like this with her boyfriends?" Shelton asked.

"You're not her boyfriend," Mark reminded him.

"Fuck, then I'm getting off lucky," Shelton murmured. Mark shot him a look and Shelton instantly apologized. Mark thought he was going to faint on the spot. He smirked; he didn't get to do this enough. He couldn't wait until his daughters started dating.

"Answer..."

"You're a difficult son of a bitch, you know that?" Shelton replied with a smirk. They fell into silence. Mark refused to take his icy glare off of Shelton. Realizing that there was nothing that he could do to get out of the situation, he sighed. "Yeah, I've got it pretty bad for Celina. Does that make you happy?"

"Very," Mark replied with a smirk. "Now, what are your intentions with Celina?" Shelton burst into a fit of laughter.

"What are you, her father?"

"Close enough." Shelton smirked, shaking his head. This was way too much for him at the moment. Mark was just too surreal for him at that point in time.

"So what are your intentions with Celina?"

"I don't know," Shelton admitted. "I'm not even dating her, Mark. You're getting a little too geared up for me."

Mark smirked. "Do you plan on pursuing Celina?" By this point Mark was looming over him. Shelton shook his head.

"I'd hate to see how you were in high school with her," Shelton murmured. "Could you back up a little? You're making..." He stopped. He thought about saying that Mark made him uncomfortable, but he realized it was the effect Mark was going for.

"What do I make you, Shelton?" he asked, a wide smirk crossing his features. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes keeping their intense focus on Shelton and his reactions to each and every question he asked. Shelton shook his head. He wasn't going to bite.

"You're cramping my space, Mark. What do you want?"

"I want to know what exactly you plan on doing with Celina."

"I don't know!"

"Come on, you've been inseperable with her for like a month now...don't even try telling me that you haven't tried anything with her back at your place."

"I haven't!" Shelton insisted. "In case you haven't noticed, Mark, I just broke up with somebody..."

"You broke up with a bitch," Mark corrected him. They fell silent and Mark shrugged. "I personally think Celina would be great for you." Shelton's head straightened and he cocked an eyebrow. He was confused. Incredulous, even. What the fuck was going on?

"Weren't you just standing here trying to scare me off?" he asked. Mark chuckled. Shelton shook his head and laughed. "You had me going there for a few minutes."

"Whatever you're doing with Celina, Shelton, you best watch yourself with her. She's been through a lot. And I know I haven't been the friend she's needed in the last little bit, but I still love that girl like she's my blood. You fuck up with her, and it's your ass. We clear?"

"Crystal, Mark," he answered. Mark smiled demonically and slapped him on the arm.

"Good. Glad we could have this talk. Have a safe flight back to South Carolina." Shelton watched in bewilderment as Mark walked out of the hotel room. He hoped to hell he wasn't going to run to Celina. That would have been the last thing he needed. He took a deep breath when the door closed and shook his head, continuing to pack his things. Celina would be back soon and they'd be catching the flight back out to South Carolina.

He took another breath. He felt like he was about to have a panic attack. The idea of even saying anything to Celina about how he felt scared the hell out of him. Now that Mark knew the truth, how long did Shelton really think he was going to keep it in for?

The hotel room door opened and Celina walked in with Lisa, laughing and chattering. Shelton zipped up his suitcase and smiled. Until it was time for him to get his shit together, he was more than happy just to stay her friend.


	31. Dirty Tactics

**Thirty-One**

Shelton had been kind of distant with Celina for the past week, and she couldn't help but wonder if Mark had anything to do with it. She knew that Mark had wanted to speak to Shelton about something, and she had a nagging suspicion that it had to do with her, but she couldn't get Shelton to talk about it if his life had depended on it. He was being surprisingly mum on the subject, and it was driving Celina crazy. Mark had been calling her daily since the plane had landed back in South Carolina, constantly asking her how things were with Shelton, how things were in South Carolina. It felt good to have him calling again. She had missed just talking to him, but she also had the feeling that he was hiding something from her, too. Him and Shelton both. But she wasn't complaining. She was just happy that she had him to talk to again. It was something Michelle had almost robbed her of, and Celina knew that eventually she'd make her pay for everything she had caused. Blowing the lid off her so-called pregnancy was just the beginning. She planned on making Michelle McCool miserable for the rest of her time with the WWE. And she knew that there wasn't a single person out there who could fault her for it.

Mark and Glen were standing in the parking lot as Celina and Shelton climbed out of his midnight blue rental car. There was a demonic smile plastered against their faces. Celina was pretty sure Glen was in on whatever was going on, too. It wouldn't surprise her. Mark and Glen were like two boys, thick as thieves and creating a ruckus wherever they went. She stole a glance at Shelton, who was fighting the urge to laugh. She shook her head; something was really going on, regardless of what the guys told her. Shelton motioned for her to go on while he went to the trunk and grabbed their bags.

"Celina!" Glen called happily as she rushed over and gave them hugs. "How was the flight?"

"Great," she answered. "I think my body's _finally_ warming up to the travel schedule here." Shelton approached.

"Hey, Shelton, how's life?" Mark inquired, shooting him a stare.

"Life," Shelton replied, shaking his head. The man didn't know when to quit. "How was your week, Mark?"

"Great, great. Are you going to meet up with Glen and I to help Celina train tomorrow morning?"

"I was thinking about it. She wanted me to show her a few moves."

"I'm sure," Mark murmured. Shelton's face dropped. "I'm sure she's looking forward to that."

"I'm standing right here." They quit speaking and looked over at Celina, who was smirking, shaking her head. As happy as she was that Mark and Shelton were becoming fast friends, she still felt like there was some strange game going on between those two. "Shall we go in and get this night started?" The guys nodded. She took her bag from Shelton and together, the quartet walked into the arena, chattering about an upcoming pay-per-view they'd have to fly out for. That night was a three hour supershow that was going to see the Brothers of Destruction, with Celina of course, taking on Hawkins and Ryder, who were going to have Edge at ringside with them, to act as an equalizer to Celina. A bigger equalizer to Celina she had joked when she had heard the news. Adam had been surprisingly nice at the end of last week; checking in on her at the end of the show to make sure that he hadn't hurt her too badly with his spear. She had recovered pretty quick; just a misfire in location. An icepack on her head for about twenty minutes had left her feeling good as new, so she wasn't too concerned about the entire situation. He offered to show her a few pointers in the ring, but she had politely declined; Shelton, Mark and Glen pretty much had her covered.

Mark was talking about an upcoming UFC fight that he was going to attend with Shane McMahon, Celina and Dave Batista. Glen wasn't into going, and neither was Shelton, but Mark was still trying to convince them both to go. They turned the corner in the main hallway and the four of them stopped dead in their tracks.

An enormous flyer was on the wall in the catering area. That wasn't what bothered them, however; it was what was on the flyer. It was an old flyer from a club in Florida that featured Celina as a featured dancer. And she was on the flyer. Her face drained of color before flushing a deep red. There were a group of Superstars and Divas crowded around. A few of them even turned around to take a look at Celina.

Shane McMahon approached the quartet. "What the fuck is this?" Mark raged. Shane shrugged.

"I can't really tell you, Mark. To be completely honest with you, I just got here. Can anyone tell me how it could have possibly gotten here?" Celina shook her head in disgust.

"I'll be right back," Celina replied. "I need to go clear my head." She stalked away. Mark and Shelton looked at each other.

"Glen, you know what's been going on just as well as anybody. It might be best that you fill Shane in while Shelton and I make sure that Celina doesn't do anything stupid." Glen nodded and with a slap on the arm, Shelton and Mark walked down the hallway together, looking for Celina.

"What's going on here?" Shane asked.

"There's probably a good chance that Michelle McCool's behind this," Glen informed him. "I can't give you any proof, but what I can tell you is she's been making things incredibly difficult on Celina for a little over a month now." Shane nodded; he'd heard some of the rumblings and had witnessed the effect the rift had on Mark and Celina. He couldn't understand how such a beautiful woman like Michelle could be so conniving and catty.

"I'll go talk to my dad," Shane replied, "and see if we can get to the bottom of this. This shit is unacceptable."

"I'm with you there." He shook his head. "I should go see what's happening with Celina, too." Shane nodded and the two men parted ways.


	32. Celina's First Match

**Thirty-Two**

Michelle McCool didn't have time to brace for anything as Celina flew across the room and tackled her, knocking over a few chairs in the process. Michelle cried out in pain as a chair leg dug into her spine, but Celina didn't care as she started leveling slap after slap to Michelle, screaming inaudibly as she grabbed handfuls of Michelle's bleached blonde hair and started slamming her head into the steel chair her head was rested on. Barbie, Kara and Nattie were standing around, stunned by what they were seeing.

The door burst open and Mark and Shelton ran in, quickly grabbing Celina and pulling her off of Michelle. Michelle made it to her feet and she charged Celina, who threw up her feet and kicked Michelle back, causing her to stumble over an overturned chair and crash to the floor.

"You're going to pay for that!" Michelle murmured, standing to her feet. She tried to charge, but Nattie, Barbie and Kara grabbed onto Michelle, holding her back.

"You're mine, bitch!" Celina screamed as Mark threw her over his shoulder and proceeded to carry her out. "Let me down, Mark!" she screamed. Shelton stared at Michelle, eyes blazing.

"I warned you," he told her before stalking out of the locker room, slamming the door behind him.

Outside the locker room, Mark set Celina down. "Celina, you can't just go attacking her like that...even if she's a total bitch who fucking deserves getting her ass kicked."

She put her head in her hands and in frustration she punched the wall. Shelton jumped, eyes widened. He'd never seen her so angry. "What the fuck did I ever do to that little bitch?" she raged. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling at the moment. She burst into tears and Mark pulled her close into his arms until her head burrowed against his chest. She sobbed uncontrollably. She was humiliated. The last thing she wanted was her past being advertised for everyone to see. Now everybody knew about the life she had led, and the idea of facing all the guys knowing that they knew it terrified her.

Mark stroked her hair. "It's okay, Celina," he soothed, even though he knew it wasn't all right in the slightest. He looked over at Shelton. "Shelton, go get Vince. He and I are going to need to have a little talk." Shelton nodded. He saw Glen making his way down the hallway towards them, and Shelton walked away, taking Glen with him. Right now, he knew that it had to be just Mark and Celina.

Mark pulled back and put his arm around her shoulder, leading her into his locker room. She kept her head down, her hair hiding the saddened expression on her face. Michelle was going to break this woman; Mark knew it. She was already under Celina's skin. He felt awful; like the entire situation was his fault because he had told Michelle all about Celina.

He sat her down in a steel folding chair and knelt down in front of her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. The tears were streaming uncontrollably down her face. "I feel like this is my fault, Celina," he told her. "I should never have told her about your past..."

Celina shook her head. "If she really wanted to hurt me, she would have done some digging, Mark. You can't go blaming yourself here." She shook her head. "Fuck!" she shouted. She was so frustrated. "Why'd you pull me off her, Mark?"

"You can't just go around beating on her. If it was my world, I'd totally let you take it to her. But...fuck, Lord only knows how Vince is going to react. You just attacked one of his top Divas."

The doors opened and Vince McMahon, Shane, Shelton and Glen all filed in. Celina groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Just what in the hell is going on here?" Vince demanded. Mark stood and looked at Vince.

"You and I need to talk about Michelle McCool..."

"You're going to have to reel in that little hellion, Mark," Vince snapped. "Michelle just said that Celina attacked her in her locker room. Michelle said that there are three witnesses who saw everything, but fucked if I can get them to say anything about what happened." He looked at Celina. "Did you attack Michelle?"

Celina smirked. If the girls weren't going to speak up, she knew that she'd be able to get Michelle in trouble. "I did. She admitted to being behind that flyer. Said she'd make me pay because I found out she wasn't pregnant and told Mark."

Vince closed his eyes. More and more this locker room was becoming more like a damn soap opera. "Mark, you're going to need to help her contain her temper. I can't have her attacking people like this."

"To be fair, Vince, it's only been Michelle...and Michelle has been antagonizing her."

"He's right about that, Dad," Shane replied. "I've seen some firsthand video of Michelle terrorizing Celina in the locker room."

"Video?" Vince asked.

"Lisa." Celina and Shane spoke in unison. Celina put her head in her hands and shook her head. It was already shaping up to be a long night.

"Dad, I think I have an idea," Shane replied.

"What?"

"What if we put Celina in her first match at next month's pay-per-view?" Celina's head perked up.

"What?"

"Grudge fight with McCool. We'll shoot a vignette. And since Lisa posted the video on YouTube, every fan knows about what's happening with those two."

"Lisa fucking_ what_?"

"Dad, calm down," Shane replied. "The guys here all offered to help Celina with her training, and I think we could give them a grudge match. That way, we can stick them in the ring, and you won't have to worry about the liability of having Celina attacking Michelle all around the arena."

"I think it sounds like a good idea," Mark replied. Celina stared at him.

"What?"

"It's next month," Shane told her. "You'll have plenty of time to practice." She was reluctant, but she nodded.

"I say it's on." Vince smiled and nodded. He looked over at Mark.

"Mark, Shelton, until then, keep your eyes on this little firecracker." The guys nodded. "Shane, you too. No more of this attacking people shit, all right, Celina?"

"I'll keep myself in check, Mr. McMahon," she replied, her head still in her hands. "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble." Vince smiled softly.

"She deserves it. Just don't do it again." With that, Vince disappeared from the locker room, leaving Celina to sigh in relief.

"I was pretty sure he was going to fire me," Celina replied. Shane laughed.

"Nah, he knows just as well as anybody that she's a pain in the ass." They laughed. "Are you training, Celina?"

She nodded. "The guys are helping me out tomorrow morning."

"Mind if I come on down, Mark?" Shane asked. Mark shook his head.

"Be my guest."

"Try not to panic," Shane told her. "We'll have you ready to go when you face off with Michelle. You'll kick her ass. We promise you that."


	33. In Training

**Thirty-Three**

"Mark, I can't do it."

"Celina, quit being so difficult. You won't know if you don't try."

"Mark, I'm telling you - I can't do it. I don't even know how you fucking do it after all these years!"

"Celina, quit being a chickenshit."

Her face dropped and her eyes blazed. "Mark Calaway, you did _not_ just call me a chickenshit!"

"Celina Catherine Cooper, I did so just call you a chickenshit!" She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm pretty sure there's not a person who disagrees with me here."

She turned to Glen. "Glen Jacobs, do you think I'm a chickenshit?" she raged. He smirked; he was dressed in a pair of sweats and a WWE Judgment Day T-shirt. He was leaned against the ring apron with a smirk on his face.

"I'm kind of with Mark on this one," he said. Her gaze turned to Shane McMahon.

"I'm not even getting into this, Celina, don't even look at me," he laughed, hands raised in mock surrender. She turned her gaze to Shelton.

"Shelton? Tell me you don't think I'm a chickenshit."

He stared at her and Mark and offered a smirk. "You know, I always heard Michelle wanted to learn how to do it," he told her. She shot a look at Mark, who looked at Shelton with an eyebrow cocked. Celina squared her shoulders.

"Fine. I'll fucking do it." Mark laughed as she twisted his arm.

"I underestimated you, Benjamin," Mark chuckled as she climbed up onto the top turnbuckle. She felt shaky. "Use the side of your feet on the rope, not walking like you're on a tightrope." She nodded, moving towards. "Only take two or three steps, Celina. If you start walking all the way across the ropes, then you're only going to leave..." He grabbed her arm and flipped her off the rope, crashing her down to the canvas. She cried out in surprise.

"Mark, you rat bastard!" she shouted. Her body arched as she grabbed her spine. The guys all laughed, applauding Mark.

"You gotta watch out for that, Celina. You think it doesn't hurt me at my age?"

"Bag of bones," she murmured. He laughed, helping her to her feet.

"We'll try that again," he said, "and act quick this time." She nodded and twisted his arm again, leading him back to the corner and climbing to the top turnbuckle. She took the two or three steps on the rope, bounced a little bit and jumped, hitting Mark square in the shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder as she landed, her knee slightly buckling. "Celina, you all right?"

"Fine," she answered, shaking the feeling out of her leg. "What else are you going to show me, Mark?" Her spine was still a little sore from Mark throwing her around, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"I'll show you how I do my clotheslines," Mark told her. "Most people just hold out the arms and clothesline, but I try to make it look a little more athletic. Shelton, get your ass in here and be my guinea pig for a second." Shelton slid into the ring and Celina stepped to the side. Shelton whipped Mark into the ropes, but Mark reversed. He ran at Shelton, jumped onto his feet and almost did a flip, knocking Shelton down with an arm. It looked impressive, his hair whipping about as he landed on the canvas. He stood to his feet and Shelton, semi-dazed, made it to his feet. "Do you think you can try that?"

"How the fuck do you get that kind of air?" she asked. Mark laughed.

"Momentum." He smirked. "And being a fucking giant helps. Just give it a shot. Since Shelton is the closest out of us all on your height, I'll let you try it out on Shelton, and I'll tag out and watch the training. Shelton has an amateur background, so he'll teach you the basics." She nodded and he made his way out of the ring.

"Ready for this, hon?" he asked. She smiled and nodded as he whipped her into the ropes. She came bounding back and jumped, emulating what Mark had showed her. She landed on her shoulder and felt a jolt of pain shoot through her. She cried out and Shelton made his way over to her. "Celina? Celina, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, sitting up and rotating her shoulder. "I just landed it wrong."

"Try it again!" Mark barked. Her body slumped and Shelton helped her to her feet and whipped her back in the ropes again. She repeated it and this time landed it right. Mark barked for her to do it one more time and she did, frustrated with Mark being a drill seargant.

She stood up as Mark went to get a coffee, leaving everyone to watch Shelton and Celina train.

"I'm going to show you the basics," Shelton replied. "If I hurt you, just let me know. If a hold is too painful, tap, okay?" Celina nodded. He smiled. "Great. First thing I'm going to teach you is the basic tie up. Now put your hand here, and your hand here," he told her. She followed his direction and he did the same. He began to push her backwards, but she planted her feet and tried to move him. He was impressed. "You've got the idea. Unfortunately..." He broke the tie-up and moved behind her, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her to the canvas. He moved around her body and made his way back to his feet. She sat up, rubbing the side of her face as Shelton stood before her, a wide smirk on his face. As painful as it felt, she understood the logic; he was showing her how to reverse when her match came up. The guys were hooting and laughing as Shelton helped her to the feet. He went to kick her, but she held his foot. Knowing that when she let go, he would hit her with the Dragon Whip, she kicked his other leg out from under him, sending him crashing down to the mat in surprise. He hadn't expected it and he stared up at her, a smile crossing his face as he heard the guys shouting. She paused for a second and with both legs in her arms, she rolled him onto his stomach and locked him into a Boston Crab. The guys shouted as Celina torqued on it. Mark was back, smiling, as he sipped his coffee. Shelton tapped and Celina released it. She skipped backwards, a wide smile on her face as Shelton made his way to her feet.

"That's impressive," Glen commented. "That's using your head, Celina!" The guys applauded. She smiled, turning to the guys and giving them a bow. Shelton came up behind her and locked his arms around her waist.

"Three seconds before I hit you with a German Suplex," he said, "How do you counter?" She put her leg around his, keeping her feet planted as he tried to lift. They both knew that he could lift her, but he was trying not to use his full weight, knowing full well that Michelle didn't weigh half as much as Shelton did. She stomped on his foot and he let her go. The guys roared in amusement.

"The hell was that for?" Shelton shouted, leaning down to rub his foot. "I didn't suplex you!"

"I countered!" she insisted. Shelton shook his head, laughing. He made his way back to his feet and gave her a huge hug. "You want to try a moonsault?"

"A what?"

"You a chickenshit, Celina?" he taunted. She slapped him in the arm.

"Don't even start with that, Benjamin," she retorted. He smirked.

"Okay, let's go into a moonsault from a Dragon Whip," he told her. She nodded and they made their way closer to the corner. She moved a step back and tried to kick him, but he grabbed her foot, making her hop for an extended period of time. She shot him a glare and he let go as she moved around and hit him with a kick. He dropped to the canvas and she stood, making her way to the rope. She wasn't sure how the hell she was going to do a moonsault. Being on the corner of the ring made her nervous; there wasn't a whole lot of space for her to keep her balance. The guys were cheering her, telling her she could do it. She took a deep breath and jumped backwards, flipping through the air. She landed on Shelton, taking his elbow to her stomach. The force knocked the wind out of her and she rolled onto her side, struggling for breath. They had been there for a few hours, and her body had never felt more beaten up. Mark instantly slid into the ring and made his way over to her. Shane followed and Shelton rushed over to her.

"Celina? Celina, what happened? Where are you hurt?" Mark inquired, his tone frantic. He was checking her ribs, checking her neck, her elbows, looking for any sign of a fracture or a bruise or a break. She was struggling for breath, tears streaming down her face.

"Celina, is anything broken?" Shelton asked. His elbow hurt.

"What the fuck happened?" Mark demanded.

"She hit my elbow on that moonsault," Shelton explained. He put a hand on her stomach. "Celina, Celina, calm down. Take deep breaths, okay." She slowed her breathing and struggled to recatch her breath. Mark brushed a strand of hair out of her face. The sport wasn't ballet, and she had spent the entire afternoon getting her ass kicked. He respected her for trying.

"What's say we call it a day, Celina," Mark replied soothingly. "I think that you've been beaten down enough for the day, all right?" She nodded and he helped her sit up. Her breathing was starting to return to normal. Shelton felt terrible; he didn't mean to hurt her. Mark shot him a look; he knew Mark wasn't upset with him for what happened. He knew it was a dangerous sport and things happened. But Mark was protective of Celina. Celina stood to her feet, exhausted and sore. Mark gave her a hug. "How about we all get cleaned up and we'll all go out for dinner, okay?" She nodded, dropping down and rolling out of the ring. She made her way towards the women's change room and disappeared out of the men's sight. Shelton took a deep breath.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Shelton replied. Mark slapped him on the back.

"I wouldn't worry about it. This isn't ballet." Shelton nodded. "She's a quick learner, that one." Shelton nodded. The guys went into the men's change room to get ready for dinner. They all thought it'd be a great thing to do for Celina after the beating she had to take for the entire day.


	34. Out To Dinner

**Thirty-Four**

Lisa met them at the restaurant with Nattie Neidhart in tow. Lisa had dressed in a black button-down shirt and blue jeans with a thick pair of black heeled boots, while Nattie wore just a white T-shirt and black slacks, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. They cheered when they saw Celina walk through the door of the restaurant, walking with a little bit of a limp in her black stilettos. "How was your first day of training?" Lisa asked, giving her friend a hug. Shelton watched the two Divas together; he had to admit that Celina looked incredible tonight; she had changed into a black strapless minidress with a layered, pleated bottom. Celina could feel a bruise forming on her stomach from meeting with Shelton's elbow, and her entire body felt stiff from spending the day as the guys' personal ragdoll, but she was so happy with the progress that she had made. Mark was saying that she was probably going to be more than ready for Michelle when their match came up.

"Painful," she answered. Lisa laughed.

"You get used to it," Nattie assured her. "We've all felt the same effects."

Shane, Glen, Mark and Shelton were behind Celina, all chattering about pay-per-view and angle plans in the upcoming months. They were all at a restaurant at the edge of town called Halo's; which doubled as a karaoke bar. Shane had passed through the place a few times, and had recommended it when they had all decided to go out for dinner. She had called Lisa; Mark had suggested it. They all sat at a table, laughing and talking about Celina's training. A waitress came along and Shane ordered a round of Kamikazes for the table. Shane was notorious for drinking Kamikazes, and everyone knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before the table got good and loaded. Shane was competitive, and so was Mark; it was only a matter of time before they tried to drink each other under the table.

The waitress disappeared, and Celina asked, "Lisa, you didn't get in trouble about posting that video, did you?"

"What?"

"Oh, Dad found out you posted the video of Celina slapping Michelle," Shane replied. He shook his head. "Nah. Once he was out of your sight, he said he laughed his ass off. He gave it a couple views and rated it five stars." They all laughed as the waitress brought them their drinks. They all ordered something for dinner.

"So, this is a karaoke bar, too?" Lisa inquired. Shane nodded.

"Let's see how many drinks we can get into the Brothers before they get up there and start singing."

"Fuck that," Mark laughed, taking a gulp of his drink.

"What are you, Mark? A chickenshit?" Shelton asked. Mark glared at him.

"Watch your mouth, boy."

"Actually, I'm kind of with Shelton Benjamin here," Celina piped up. She stared at Shane. "Shane, would you agree?"

"Oh, definitely." Shane smirked at Mark and raised his glass before taking a drink.

"Glen?"

"Fuck that; I'm supposed to be in on this too, remember?"

"Girls, do you agree with Shelton's assessment?"

"A hundred percent," Lisa replied while Nattie nodded.

"Nice try, guys," Mark replied, "but I'm not going to bite." Shane took a sip of his drink and started clucking like a chicken. "Fuck off, Shane," he growled. But before he knew it, Celina, Lisa and Shelton had joined in. "I mean it, guys: shut the fuck up!"

"Come on, Mark...you and Glen could totally belt out 'Friends in Low Places'," Celina told him. Glen laughed.

"We got characters to think about, guys," Mark replied. "And there is no fucking way that the Undertaker is gonna get up on that stage and start singing some fucking Garth Brooks shit."

"Biker Undertaker would," Celina bit out. Shane was smirking into his drink, Shelton keeping his gaze averted to the table, a wide grin tugging at his face.

"Do I look like Biker Taker?" he asked her, an eyebrow cocked. Glen looked at Mark's outfit.

"Does she really have to answer that?" Glen asked. Mark hit him in the arm.

"Way to save our asses," Mark snapped. Glen started laughing. "Stop laughing! It's not fucking funny!"

"Hey, if they're clamoring for me to traumatize them, who's Kane to refuse?" he asked, shooting a wink at Celina. She laughed, shaking her head.

"Come on, Mark, don't be such a chickenshit," Celina replied.

"If I have to do it, your ass is getting up there, too," Mark snapped, taking another sip of his drink. Shane ordered another round.

"You're on," she replied.

"I didn't say I was going to do it! I said if!"

"Mark, just shut up. You're not helping your cause here." Shane nodded with Glen's assessment.

"If I have to do it, then all you guys have to get your asses up there. No fucking way am I going to embarass myself." He stared over at Shane. "That goes for you, too, Boy Wonder."

"Anything to watch Mark Calaway embarass himself," Shane replied as the second round of drinks arrived with dinner.

"Fuck." It was the only thing Mark could say as he glared daggers at a smiling Celina. She won this round; she was going to savor every second of it. She was going to get Mark and Glen on that stage with the microphone. And when they made their way to the stage, she was going to do what she knew would make the entire night memorable - she was going to get Lisa to take out her phone and tape the moment. It wasn't everyday that Mark Calaway and Glen Jacobs performed karaoke in front of a bunch of drunken fans.

She caught eyes with Shelton and he flashed her a smirk. She smiled back. This was going to be a fun night, and she couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather be than with her friends, with Mark, and with Michelle McCool out of her mind.


	35. Finally!

**Thirty-Five**

Shelton and Celina arrived back at the hotel, stumbling, Celina holding her stilettos in her hand. Shane had gotten them all drunk as hell; she had lost count after her tenth Kamikaze. Mark and Shane were still at Halo's, pounding them back, trying to figure out which one was going to give first. Celina was putting her money on Shane; Mark was a Texan. And he could hold his liquor like nobody else.

Mark and Glen had fulfilled their deal and had gone up and sang 'Margaritaville'. By this time, Mark was so drunk that she was sure he wasn't going to remember it in the morning. Glen was laughing his ass off the entire time; he was just as wasted as Mark. Lisa videotaped it all. A night to remember. Lisa had gotten a little more than blitzed and Celina had dared her to stick it up on YouTube without telling Mark. Lisa had told Celina that it would be online in the morning. Celina had laughed thinking about Mark's reaction to being on YouTube singing 'Margaritaville'.

Shelton tried to slide the keycard into the door, his face burrowed in concentration as he tried to make the door open. It just wasn't working. "What the..." he murmured. Celina handed him her shoes and took the keycard out of the slot, turning it over and opening the door. Shelton burst into a fit of laughter, and Celina soon followed as they stumbled into their hotel room, Shelton closing the door behind him. Celina fell onto the bed, her knees dangling over the edge as she laughed hysterically.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't know," she laughed, rolling onto her side, laughing. Shelton stopped and stared at her. She looked so beautiful; even in his drunken haze he realized it. Even drunk out of her mind, she looked beautiful. He shook his head and gathered his pajamas. He needed to get ready for bed. To get some of the liquor out of his system. _Shane and his fucking Kamikazes_, Shelton thought.

He had been forced to get up and sing. It was pretty hazy. He was pretty sure he wound up singing to Celina. The worst part was it was some cheesy eighties song that Mark picked out. And Lisa had taped it. He groaned as he stared in the mirror. He looked like a wreck.

Outside, in the main area, Celina changed herself into her pajamas. She was sobering up a little bit. She opened a window and let the cool air make its way over to her. She needed the air. She was pretty sure she was going to get sick. She tied the drawstring a little bit tighter on her pajama pants. They were black; her favorite pair of pajama pants. They'd seen her through a lot of years. She felt her stomach knot up, but she made her way into her bed and laid down under the covers, pulling them up over her shoulders.

Shelton emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, rubbing at his eyes. He was kind of exhausted from all the alcohol, and how busy the day had been with training Celina. He could see her under the covers across the room, her back to him. The window was open, the room was getting chilly, fast.

He began to move towards his bed. "Shelton?" Her voice was soft, almost quiet.

"Yeah?"

She rolled over onto her back to face him. She brushed up against the bruise on her stomach and she winced. He noticed. "You all right?" She flushed a deep red. She definitely looked embarassed. "What's the matter?"

"Could you...could you do something for me?"

"Sure," he replied. "What do you need? Are you feeling all right?"

"I'll be all right," she told him, laying back down on the pillow. "Could you...well...could you come lay with me?"

Shelton felt himself tense up. They were both drunk; even though he was sobering up. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But he knew that he couldn't say no. Any man to turn down that request from a woman as beautiful as Celina was an idiot, pure and simple. He made his way around the bed and got himself under the blankets with her. She moved herself closer to him and rested her head against his chest.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She looked up at him.

"My body's really stiff," she admitted. "And I have a bit of a bruise on my stomach from your elbow."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he told her, a soft smile crossing his features.

"Shelton..." she burrowed her head into his chest. He smiled. She was a cute drunk. Hell, he just thought she was cute.

"What's up?"

"Do you...do you like me?"

Shelton laughed; she was just too much. "Of course I like you," he told her. "Where would you get the idea that I don't?"

"No..." she looked up at him. "I mean...do you _like_ me? Or did I do something to upset you...?"

"What? Where did you get that idea?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know," she answered. "You've been kind of off this week...well, with me anyway. Did I say something stupid?"

"No. Where are you getting this?" Then it dawned on him. The talk with Mark. He took a deep breath. "It's not you, Celina."

"What did Mark say to you?" she asked. "I know he said something, Shelton. Please let me in on this one. What did he say to you?"

"It's not important, hon. Just get yourself some sleep. You look exhausted."

"Shelton, answer me. Did Mark talk to you about me?" He was silent. She knew the answer. "He interrogated you about me, didn't he?" Shelton chuckled.

"Not so much interrogated. More like he threatened, I listened." She shook her head. She couldn't believe Mark had interrogated Shelton. She felt like she was in high school all over again. But she knew there was something between Shelton and herself. And she was pretty sure that the people around her saw it, too. Whatever there was between her and Shelton, it was something that stretched beyond the friendship they had.

"What did he threaten you about?" she asked. Shelton started to become visibly uncomfortable. She felt incredibly bold in her inebriated state. Shelton was silent, trying to think of something to tell her. She was mesmerized by him, her eyes unable to move from his face. She felt herself becoming frustrated with Shelton's nervousness. _Oh, fuck it,_ she thought in frustration. She moved her head up and their lips connected. Shelton was momentarily stunned by her sudden movement, and Celina was pretty sure that he had tried to pull back, but he eventually relaxed into the kiss, his hand running through her hair, keeping a firm grasp on the back of her head.

She pulled back, her eyes opening to stare into Shelton's surprised eyes. She ran her hand along his face down to his chest. He took a deep breath. He was definitely surprised. But he would have been a liar to say that he didn't just enjoy it. "We'll talk about this in the morning, all right?" he said to her. He wanted to be sure she didn't kiss him just because she was drunk. The thought of that kind of unnerved him. She nodded and got herself comfortable under the blankets yet again. Shelton hit the light and lay down beside Celina.

His head was officially spinning.


	36. Take It Slow

**Thirty-Six**

Celina rolled over in the morning, slowly coming awake. The sunlight was pouring through the cracks in the blinds, leaving narrow lines of light along the baby blue comforter. She rolled over to find that Shelton was gone, a piece of paper on the pillow.

_Celina, gone to get coffee. Will be back. Afterwards, we need to talk. Shelton._

She groaned and laid back on the pillow. She knew what Shelton wanted to talk to her about. She kissed him last night...and he seemed to enjoy it. A small smile crossed her face as she remembered the way his hand felt on the back of her head as their lips connected. She hadn't felt that kind of a spark in a long time. Sure, she had felt something for Reid. But the honest truth was that she didn't really feel all that comfortable telling Reid about things going on in her life. With Shelton, she almost felt like they were the best of friends, that nothing was too taboo between the two of them. She put a hand on her forehead. She was terrified. What if Shelton didn't want a relationship with her? What if she had just ruined everything, made things complicated?

The door opened and she propped herself up on her elbows to see Shelton make his way into the room, a box of donuts in one hand and coffees in the other. He kicked the door shut with his foot. Celina went to get out of bed and help him, but he motioned for her to stay put. Last night had thrown him for a loop, but he wasn't about to deny that he hadn't thought about kissing Celina. Hell, he was tempted to take things further with her the night before, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Celina had been drunk anyway, and he was afraid of reading too much into the kiss.

"You want to talk," she said. "Talk."

"Celina, how much do you remember about last night?"

"I remember a lot about last night," she replied, a smirk crossing her lips. "How's your memory? A little hazy?"

"Celina, you kissed me. You remember that?"

"Of course. How could I forget something like that?" she smiled. "It was amazing."

Shelton couldn't contain himself. He started laughing. He made his way over to the bed and handed her a cup of coffee. She took a sip. "Did I cross the line last night, Shelton?" she asked, her tone becoming serious. "I don't want to fuck anything up, but I really like you..." She shook her head, running a hand over her hair as she sipped her coffee. "I forgot how fucking complicated this relationship shit can get." He chuckled.

"Same here," he answered. The room fell into a silence, but it wasn' that comfortable silence that she had become accustomed to with Shelton. It was definitely awkward. "So...you're digging the Gold Standard, are you?" Her head flopped back on the pillow and she burst into a fit of laughter.

"It's the hair," she retorted and his face took on mock hurt before he started laughing.

"The blonde's not that bad!" he told her. She nodded.

"I agree...it's awful!" He shook his head, a smirk crossing his face as he fought the urge to tickle her into submission. He took a deep breath.

"So where do we go from here, Celina?" he asked. Celina took a deep breath; she wasn't so sure either.

"What do you think we should do, Shelton? Should we forget this entire situation even happened?"

He shook his head. "I don't think that I can do that, Celina. Do you think that you can do that?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, putting a hand over her face. She had really made things complicated. _Smooth move, dumbass,_ she thought to herself bitterly. She felt Shelton's warm fingers on her hand, pulling them away from her face. Her eyes opened, finding their way to stare into Shelton's eyes.

"How about we just take it slow?" Shelton asked her. "I don't want us to rush and fuck everything up, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that either." She nodded. She didn't want that. She wanted him.

"Come on. Let's eat breakfast and you still have some more training today. Mark wanted to show you a few things." She nodded and he handed her the box of donuts. She took out a Boston Creme and stared at Shelton. She was so confused about the situation. But he didn't make her feel awkward for kissing him. She thought it was a good sign. But she knew that she really had to focus on her upcoming match with Michelle. Michelle was more experienced._ Michelle may be more experienced, _Celina thought, agitated, _but I'm determined to kick her ass. _


	37. Training with a Drill Seargant

**Thirty-Seven**

"Fuck!"

"God damn it, Celina, would you fucking concentrate?"

"I'm sorry - Jesus Christ!"

They were standing in the ring, Celina on her knees on the mat, hands on her hips in frustration. Lisa was there to be her sparring partner. "If you don't fucking concentrate, then Michelle's going to fucking beat you, and you know you don't want that!"

"Mark, I'm fucking trying! Cut me some slack!"

"You think Michelle's going to cut you some slack?" he raged. "No! She's going to do whatever she can to fuck you up in that ring."

"Mark..."

"Celina, get your head out of the clouds or my foot's going in your ass!"

She scowled at him, one of the most evil, demonic scowls she had ever given him. He looked at her, his eyes just as hostile. "Lisa, Celina, try that again," he barked. Lisa nodded, helping Celina to her feet. Lisa set her up for a Last Ride powerbomb. Getting her up in the air, Celina wrapped her legs around Lisa and hit her with a hurracanrana, this time landing it right. "There you go," Mark said, his tone patronizing and sarcastic.

"Just because you haven't gotten laid in a month doesn't mean you can be a total prick, Mark," Celina snapped back. Mark flushed with embarassment.

"Lisa, do you remember how to do that Wings of Love move Michelle does?"

"Of course."

"Celina, I want you to try and counter this move," Mark replied. "I don't fucking care how - just counter it."

"Thanks for the encouragement," she bit back. He threw his arms in the air, exasperated.

"You weren't all for my encouragement a few minutes ago!" he snapped. He stalked off to get himself a coffee. "Fucking women!" he barked, storming out of their vision. Celina rolled her eyes.

"Fuck's his problem?" Glen inquired.

"IMS," Celina replied.

"IMS?"

"Irritable Male Syndrome." Glen and Shelton laughed. Lisa set her up for the Wings of Love.

"Remember, Celina, every finisher has a counter." She hooked Celina's arms. Celina pushed her arms out of the way and threw Lisa onto her back, flipping over her into a bridge pinning position.

"And of course, Mark isn't here to see this," Celina mused.

"He's just off having a tantrum," Glen replied with a smirk. "Don't worry about it."

Mark came in. Lisa smiled. "That was good, Celina. Try to toss me over now." She put Celina into the position again, but Celina moved her arms and tossed Lisa over her shoulder, sending Lisa crashing down to the mat. Mark clapped.

"Thank you! There's having your head on your shoulders!"

"Mark, quit being such a dick," Glen replied. Mark shook his head.

"She wanted fucking encouragement, I'm giving her fucking encouragement and now I'm getting snapped at? What the fuck?" Mark snapped. Lisa and Celina laughed. Glen just shook his head. Mark sipped his coffee, his green eyes blazing like emerald wildfires. "Fuckers," he murmured. Celina couldn't contain her laughter as she leaned over the top rope and smiled down at Mark.

"Someone's cranky," Celina pointed out. He flipped her the middle finger.

"Just shut up and get back to work," he told her. "You're nowhere near ready and your match is in two weeks."

"You said I was a quick learner!" Celina protested.

"You may be a quick learner, but that isn't going to mean shit against someone who's had four years of training behind her."

"Then why the fuck am I here?" she snapped, frustrated. Mark smirked.

"Now who's getting cranky?"

"Fuck off." She shook her head; sometimes he was such a prick.

"Keep going!" he barked. "I'm not stopping you." She took a deep breath and she and Lisa went over everything that she had learned over the last week. Shelton was watching her with some encouragement, but Mark was watching her with a scornful eye. She knew that he would be her toughest critic, but he really was a tough critic of hers.

When she finished, her body was in pain and she found herself almost crawling out of the ring. Shelton helped her out. Mark cocked an eyebrow and Shelton smirked.

"You okay, baby?" he asked. Mark just about choked on his coffee. Celina stared at Shelton in surprise. He winked and motioned to Mark with a slight nod of his head. She nodded.

"I'm fine, sugar," she replied sweetly. Mark bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he struggled to sip his coffee. She fought the urge to laugh. "I'll just go fix myself up and we can head back to the hotel." He nodded and she and Lisa went into the women's change room. Mark shook his head and looked at Glen, who was fighting the urge to contain his laughter. Mark just glared daggers at Shelton, who retreated into the men's change room to clean up.

Celina and Lisa emerged. "We're going out tonight, Celina - you should come with."

"I think I'm going to go back to the hotel with Shelton and nurse my wounds with an ice pack." Lisa laughed. Mark cocked an eyebrow. She looked over. "You okay, Mark?"

"Never been better," he answered gruffly, sipping his coffee.

"Mark, Lena, Eve and I are going out tonight. You want to come with?" Lisa asked. "Glen, that means you, too."

"Sure," Glen replied. "What's the game plan?"

"Dinner and maybe a late movie," Lisa replied. "Come on, Mark...you know you want to."

"None of that chick flick shit," he murmured.

"I promise, no chick flicks," she replied with a smile tugging at her lips. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'm in. Celina, why don't you and Shelton come along?"

"I'm going home to relax," she answered. "You're going to be a fucking drill seargant tomorrow anyway. I need all the rest I can get." He laughed and she made her way over to him, giving him a hug. "Thanks for all your encouragement," she laughed. He chuckled.

"I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Shelton and Celina left together, arms linked. Mark, Glen and Lisa watched in amusement.

"Well, I wonder what's going on between those two," Lisa laughed. Glen followed suit in his laughter.

Mark sipped his coffee.


	38. Debut Match

**Thirty-Eight**

It was the night of the match. Two weeks had gone by with Celina training herself ragged. She was standing in the Gorilla, jumping from foot to foot, trying to jumpstart her cardio. She was dressed in tight black vinyl pants and a red corset top, her hair styled elegantly around her face. She couldn't figure out why she had to go to hair and makeup; it was only going to run during the match.

"There you are! Jesus, I've been trying to find you for the last twenty minutes."

Celina turned around and saw Mark behind her, a wide smile on his face. "Mark!" she exclaimed, giving him a huge hug. He hugged her back tightly.

"I wouldn't feel right if I didn't come and wish you good luck on your match," he replied. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready," she answered.

"I, uh, talked to Vince last week, and he and I picked out a theme for you, if that's okay."

"Knowing you - I'm about to walk out to the Macarena, aren't I?" Mark laughed.

"Nah. It's something cooler," he assured her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Good luck out there. Kick some ass for me."

"I promise you, she's in for a world of hurt." He smiled.

Beyond the curtains, the lights went out. "Everybody Down" by Nonpoint blared through the arena and red and blue lights flared up, keeping in time with the beat as Celina stepped through the curtain. She'd have to thank Mark for the cool theme later. She made her way down the ramp, keeping herself focused. She wanted to wave, to high-five the fans, but she knew she had a character to maintain. She climbed up the steps and climbed into the ring. She stood in the center and watched the ramp, her eyes blazing as she awaited the entrance of Michelle McCool.

Michelle's theme blared through the loudspeakers and she burst through the curtain, eyes blazing. She was dressed in a blue vinyl outfit, and she made her way down towards the ring, pointing at Celina and trash talking her. Celina just motioned to her. "Bring it on, bitch!" Celina murmured, a sadistic smile crossing her face. Michelle slid into the ring, grabbing Celina's legs from under her and repeatedly punching her in the head, much to the chagrin of the referee. Celina tried to shield herself until the referee grabbed Michelle around the torso and pulled her off of Celina. Michelle started arguing with the referee while Celina made her way to her feet. Michelle charged at Celina, who ducked it and ran off of the ropes, landing the aerial clothesline that Mark had taught her. Celina made her way to her feet and smirked at Michelle, who slammed her hands on the mat in frustration. She stood to her feet and charged Celina again, who leveled her with an arm drag that Shelton had taught her. Michelle slammed her hands on the mat in frustration again. She stood up and she tied up with Celina. Both girls planted their feet and refused to budge. Michelle broke the hold and tried to punch Celina, who caught her hand and twisted it into a wrist lock. Moving backwards, Celina climbed the ropes, and the fans started screaming in adulation as she performed the Old School. She could only see Mark backstage, smiling and laughing at the tribute.

She leapt off of the top rope and hit Michelle, knocking her down to the mat. Celina smirked, kicking Michelle hard in the ribs. Michelle crumpled into the fetal position, holding her stomach on the brink of tears. Celina kicked her again, taunting Michelle. She pulled Michelle up and whipped her into the ring corner. She lunged at Michelle, who lifted her feet and knocked Celina down. Michelle grabbed Celina by the hair and dragged her to the middle of the ring. Attempting to lift her, Michelle was surprised with a kick to the head when she leaned over. Michelle stumbled back and Celina shakily made her way to her feet. She was a little dazed from the kick. Michelle kicked Celina in the stomach and attempted to go for the Wings of Love. Celina struggled with her arms, moved them and flipped Michelle over her back. Michelle landed, her body arching on the mat as Celina made her way up the turnbuckles and to the top, landing a moonsault on Michelle. She quickly covered, referee Charles Robinson making the three count. The bell rang and the fans screamed, Celina rolling down and making her way up the ramp. The referee slid out of the ring and ran towards Celina, raising her hand high in the air, leaving Michelle to throw a tantrum in the ring.

Michelle made her way to the ropes, pointing at Celina. "This isn't over!" she screamed.

"We're just getting started," Celina agreed with a sick smirk on her face. Michelle was holding her torso. It had been a short match, but Celina had made her point that she could hold her own.

The referee dropped her arm, and Celina began making her way up the ramp, never taking her eyes off of Michelle. She turned her back at the top of the ramp and emerged through the curtains, into the awaiting arms of Shelton Benjamin. He hugged her tightly, giving her a light kiss.

"You did a wonderful job," he whispered in her ear, hugging her tight. She broke the hug and looked around.

"Where's Mark?"

"Vince called him away for a few minutes. Something about the championship." She nodded. She couldn't hide the disappointment. "Vince wants to see you in his office, too."

"Where is his office?"

"Come on, I'll show you." Taking her hand, he led her through the halls towards Vince's office. He opened the doors and together, they walked in.


	39. Congratulations, Celina

**Thirty-Nine**

"What is this?"

Shane, Stephanie, Vince, Shelton, Mark, and Glen were all sitting around, standing and applauding Celina. "Congratulations, Celina," Vince roared. He smiled. "You are officially an active WWE Diva." She noticed a cake with a picture of her, Mark and Glen scanned on it. She turned to Mark, who had a wide smile on his face.

"Mark...were you behind this?"

"Glen helped," Mark admitted. "Shelton picked up the cake for me tonight." She smiled, shaking her head. "You guys are incredible." She realized that he said they were celebrating her becoming an active wrestler. Her eyes narrowed.

"Does this mean that I'm splitting from Mark and Glen?" she asked. Vince laughed.

"Goodness, no," he replied. "The fans are really reacting to you as their sister. It's definitely going to be a gimmick that we're going to stick with." She smiled as the guys took their places beside her.

"I'm not going to complain about that," she told Vince with a smile crossing her face. "These guys are amazing."

"As long as you remember that," Mark replied and she laughed.

"So, who's up for a piece of cake?" Stephanie asked as Shane helped her to her feet. She was far enough along that it was hard for her to move up and down. She waddled over to the cake and began to cut pieces.

"So, does this mean I'm getting a next match?" Celina inquired. Vince nodded.

"Of course! I want to put you up against Michelle McCool at the Great American Bash in two weeks," he replied. "I want you to go over, and then put her over on SmackDown. Will that be a problem?"

"No, not at all," Celina replied, although she wasn't up to the idea of having to put Michelle over. But she knew she'd have two victories to her one. She put a smile on her face and offered a soft thanks as Stephanie handed her a slice of cake. "You guys are just too much," she replied, a wide smile and hearty laugh escaping from her lips.

They all sat down when the cake was served. "Now, Celina, I know things have been a little more than complicated with Michelle as of late...and I want you to know that you did the best thing you could possibly do by exercising professionalism in the ring and not taking any sort of liberties." She nodded. "I did feel good landing those stiff shots though, didn't it?" Celina blushed and Vince laughed. "It's okay. Everyone is so naive to think everyone gets along with everyone here. We're human. We hate people, we like people. It's just the way it goes. Human nature, I suppose." She nodded.

"So, Celina, how'd you like the theme?"

"I think it rocks hardcore. How did you manage to get the rights to that?"

"We've had a few weeks, remember?" Shane asked her. She nodded. "It doesn't take that long. Our people talk to their people..." Celina laughed and Shane flashed her a smile. "It's a lot simpler than a lot of people think when you get along with the bands." She nodded.

"You looked fantastic in the ring...you could kind of tell you were a beginner, but you definitely didn't show any sort of nerves or whatever," Stephanie told her. Mark, Glen and Shelton nodded in agreement.

"You worked her over like a pro," Shelton replied. She laughed.

"It's good that it wasn't noticeable, because I was scared as hell," she confessed. "I've never been able to figure out how you guys manage to do this week in and week out, keeping a straight face, not being nervous..."

"Sometimes it's hard to keep a straight face," Mark replied. "Trust me, I know."

"It's a lot harder now," Glen replied, "Back then I at least had the mask." Vince laughed.

"We all have our moments. Anyone who has stood in the ring with the Rock or Mick Foley will tell you, it's hell keeping a straight face," Vince replied. "If you can work through that with those two, you're pretty much set for life."

"Cena, Jericho and Paul, too," Stephanie replied. Vince and Shane nodded.

"JBL can be one funny son of a bitch sometimes, too," Mark replied, taking a bite of cake. "And when he's drunk...holy shit..." Glen laughed.

"Remember that time he cussed out a priest in Iraq?" Shelton asked. The guys all laughed. Celina's face dropped.

"He cussed out a priest?"

"He didn't know he was a priest," Vince replied. "It sure went over with the soldiers and the guys though. JBL hasn't been able to live it down."

"The Nazi goose step in Germany sure didn't help his cause either," Shane snickered. Celina's face dropped.

"Nazi goose step?"

"We prefer to call it the Munich Incident." Shane kept a straight face, causing Celina to shake her head and laugh.

"What kind of backlash did you guys take for that?"

"We didn't take any," Vince replied. "That one was all on JBL."

"He got fired from CNBC for being a 'loudmouth' wrestler," Mark replied with a roll of his eyes. "If only they really knew."

"Am I ever going to meet him?" Celina asked.

"Eventually. I guess the next time Raw does a three-hour supershow," Vince replied. "Or Saturday Night's Main Event next month...whichever comes first."

Celina cocked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you know what comes first?" Vince laughed.

"I should, but I'm too busy with other things. It's not easy running this company, you know."

"I can only imagine," she replied. They continued to eat in silence. Shelton made his way over to her and whispered something in her ear. Mark was watching them intently. He noticed a blush crawl up her neck and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Keeping secrets from us, are we?" Mark teased. Celina jumped, surprised. She shot Mark a look that said _don't you even dare._

However, Glen joined in. "It's not nice to whisper."

The McMahons snickered and watched Celina turn even redder. "He said I looked pretty tonight," she answered quickly. Mark eyed Shelton.

"Sure."

"I did!" Shelton's expression was exasperated.

"Then why'd you whisper it?" Glen asked, a smirk crossing his face. He and Mark exchanged knowing glances with one another.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, I don't know." Shelton shook his head. "Vince, these two are fucking hopeless."

Vince laughed. "Want to come whisper that in my ear?" The room roared with laughter as Shelton stood, hands on his hips, fighting the urge to laugh with the rest of them.

"Man, y'all are too much for me," Shelton replied. "I'm gonna clean up and head back to the hotel. I'll meet you there, Celina?" Mark, Glen and Shane let out a catcall and Shelton flashed them the middle finger before kissing her on the cheek and leaving. Vince looked at Celina with an eyebrow cocked as Shelton left the room.

"Mark, you can be such a dick sometimes," Celina replied.

"You still love me," he told her with a laugh. She shook her head.

"You guys aren't any better," she told the McMahons and Glen, who just shook off her words with laughter.

"It's how we cope with seeing each other three hundred days a year," Glen told her. "Best thing to do is just roll with it." Mark nodded in agreement and offered Celina a valuable piece of advice:

"Cause when you meet JBL, if you can't go with the flow, that man will ride you into the ground."


	40. A Four Way Vacation

**Forty**

Celina entered the Timeshare house on Tuesday. Mark, Shelton, Celina and Lisa were going to spend a week together, acting stupid and seeing the sights in Florida. Lisa had been keeping herself busy with a new car customs business, and Mark and Celina both decided that it would be a great idea to get her away for a vacation. Lisa had been reluctant, until Celina threatened to send Mark and Shelton after her.

Mark was flying in from Texas; he wouldn't be in till later on in the night. He had a lunch date with Mr. McMahon regarding a new storyline, and then he'd be on his way out. Shelton, however, was still with Celina, and to say he was in an affectionate mood would have been a bit of an understatement.

She closed the door and turned to have Shelton pin her up gently against the door, leaning in and giving her a sweet, tender kiss. She responded, bringing a hand up to caress his face as she returned the kiss as softly as he was giving it to her. His body pressed close up against her as his hands softly roamed down her shoulders, down to her waist.

Celina pulled back, breathless. "My goodness, Shelton...didn't you get enough on the ride over?"

He kissed her again. "Does that answer you?" She shook her head and laughed.

"Knock it off," she teased. "Mark gets here and you're jumping my bones - you'll be dead five times before you hit the ground..._at least._"

Shelton nodded, a reflective look crossing his face. "Mark's a frosty individual, ain't he?"

Celina shrugged. "It's a Texan thing. You Carolinians wouldn't understand."

"You're living in South Carolina."

"I was born and raised in Texas." She smiled. "Now let's get unpacked. Just be lucky enough that Mark's letting you sleep in the same room as me. The man damn near had a heart attack when I told him about that. I felt like I was fucking fifteen!" Shelton laughed. "Oh, you find that funny? I tell you what - how about you answer the uncomfortable questions for a change?"

"What - you don't think Mark gives me hell?" Shelton asked. She shook her head and he followed her up the stairs, holding their bags. She looked over her shoulder at him. He was practically breathless. The way her hair fell around her face...the way her eyes sparkled as they looked down at him...the way her full lips twisted into a smirk.

"I _know_ he gives you hell."

"Celina, don't look at me like that," he groaned. She cocked an eyebrow and continued up the stairs.

"Like what?" She met him at the top of the stairs, that smirk still on her face, even though she was confused as hell.

He leaned in and kissed her, his arm circling around her waist and pulling her close. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity as she felt the air in her lungs draining out of her with each second that the kiss lasted. When she was finally ready to pull away for some air, Shelton pulled back and watched with a satisfied smirk as her eyes fluttered open. "What was that for?" she asked.

"I just felt like it," he told her. She shook her head. He picked up the bags again and they went into their room for the trip.

"So, is it just me, or do you think Mark has a thing for Lisa?" Celina asked. Shelton shook his head.

"Last thing Mark needs is to get involved with another fucking Diva," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on. Lisa is incredible. Except we'd have to take away her cameras...she seems like the type to record a sex tape." Shelton and Celina stared at each other in silence for a second before they started laughing.

"She'd post it on YouTube in a second," Shelton replied. "By the way, between you and I, Glen said that Shane McMahon hits up the video of you slapping out Michelle at least four times a day."

"You serious?"

"Dead serious. Apparently, Mark, Glen and I aren't the only ones that found the entire situation amusing. Apparently, Vince did, too."

"I think Lisa would be great for him...at least as a good friend. Mark could use a few more female friends, take it from me."

"I don't think Mark has a female friend that he hasn't fucked." One glare from Celina, and Shelton put his hands up in mock surrender. "Oh, for God's sakes, you know what I mean. I mean, Michelle was his 'friend' before they became official. From what I heard, the only reason he said anything about them being an item was because she was screaming for it. She wanted to be exclusive."

Celina rolled her eyes, shook her head, and took a deep breath. She had another few matches coming up with Michelle, and from the looks of it, they were going to keep her in a program with Michelle for at least a few months. Her issues with the woman were far from over, even though Celina considered the woman a dead issue.

Shelton noticed that her eyes had clouded over - and not in a good way - and he made his way around the bed and over to her. He touched her face. "Hon, what's the matter?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." She thought about telling him something, but decided at the last minute to just shrug it off. "It's just been a long couple months," she answered. Shelton nodded and he hugged her close. The two of them stood in the middle of the room, encased in thick silence, the only sound in the room that of their breathing. She burrowed her head into his muscular chest, taking in the scent of his cologne.

"You're a beautiful woman, Celina," he murmured, his head resting on top of hers. She remained silent, just holding him tightly. For her, it was one of those moments that was better silent.


	41. Secrets

**Forty-One**

Celina and Lisa were sitting outside on the deck as Mark and Shelton were hanging out in the backyard, playing catch with one another. They had offered the girls to play, but they had decided to watch. The girls were dressed in sundresses; seated on white wicker chairs, a glass of lemonade in their hands as they watched the guys toss a baseball at each other.

Celina took a sip of her lemonade. "Aren't you glad we took you on vacation?" Celina asked. Lisa took a deep breath and nodded.

"It's nice to just get away," Lisa admitted. She shook her head. "Things have just been crazy, haven't they?"

"Tell me about it," Celina replied. "I don't know the first thing about wrestling, let alone managing them." She shook her head. "It's been such a crash course."

"It gets easier, hon. Trust me on that one." Lisa sipped her lemonade as they watched the guys. "What on Earth do you think those two are talking about?"

"I don't even know," Celina replied. "But Mark seems to be liking Shelton. Thank God."

Across the field, Mark and Shelton were throwing a baseball back and forth. It was a hot day, and there was nothing much else to do. Shelton was dressed in a white muscle shirt and black sweatpants, a black Orioles baseball cap covering his head. Mark wore a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, his hair back with a bandana. He looked upset as he tossed the ball back and forth.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Shelton asked, tossing the ball back to him.

"Told her what?"

"About your meeting with Vince. About the fact that you're taking time off," Shelton replied. "You're too chickenshit to tell her, aren't you?"

"I'm not," Mark snapped, throwing the ball at him with extra force to get his point across. Shelton caught it, a smirk crossing his face. "I just don't know how to tell her. She relies on Glen and I so much during the tapings that I'd hate to put her in a panic. Anyway, if I tell her I need surgery on my hip, it's going to scare the shit out of her." He shook his head. "If you want to be the one to scare her..." He caught the ball.

"Oh, fuck off, Old Man," Shelton replied with a roll of his eyes as he caught the ball. Mark caught Shelton's throw.

"That's Deadman, Blondie." Shelton laughed as he caught the ball.

"Look, eventually, Celina's going to find out. And if you tell her as soon as possible, there's a good chance you're not going to be coughing up her shoes for the next month." Mark laughed. Shelton turned serious. "Mark, I'm not bullshitting you. If you're leaving for a few months, then you have to tell her. Don't leave it until you lose your fucking match." Mark nodded; as much as he was trying to prolong telling her about the time off, he knew that she was going to find out sooner or later. And either way, she was going to be upset. But his hip was in rough shape. It had been for a lot of years. But now he wanted to repair it. He had already spoken to Sara, and she promised to bring the girls to the hospital while he was recuperating. He was going to have the procedure in Texas, and had even managed to talk Dr. Andrews into flying out to Texas instead of going to Alabama for it.

"How do I break that kind of news to her?" Mark asked, tossing him the ball. His glance was averted for a sec as he watched Celina and Lisa talking across the lawn. "She worries so much about me, and I know she's going to start panicking if I'm not around, Shelton." He shook his head as he caught the ball. "But I've been putting this off and now I'm paying for it."

"I'm not telling you to postpone the procedure, Mark," Shelton told him, "but you're going to have to tell Celina pretty soon. I mean, she's probably going to be at ringside with you during your match, and she's really going to lose it if you don't prepare her for it."

Mark sighed; Shelton was right. But how was he going to tell her that he was leaving for a few months? She was still having problems with Michelle, and she was still relying on Mark for so much of the TV stuff. He sighed; he'd have to tell her tonight. He was going to be leaving at SummerSlam, and if he didn't tell her now, he knew that he was going to chicken out.


	42. Coming Clean With Celina

**Forty-Two**

Celina could sense that something was up when she went into the house later that night and Mark was in there by himself. Lisa and Shelton were outside, tossing around the baseball. Mark seemed on edge; sitting at the kitchen table, staring out the window at the duo playing around.

"Mark? Is everything okay? Did Shelton say something to upset you?" she asked, her tone becoming defensive.

"Sit down, Celina." His tone was flat. She shot him a look and slowly sat down in front of him.

"Mark...what's going on?"

"There's something that I should tell you," he said after a moment's silence. She rolled her eyes.

"You're back with Michelle, aren't you?"

"What? Fuck no," he replied with a chuckle. "Christ, aren't you pessimistic."

"I'm still sensing bad news."

Mark nodded a confirmation and she put her head in her hand. "The meeting with Vince I had wasn't about a storyline, Celina. It's because I need some time off."

"What?"

"I've got to get hip surgery, Celina. I chipped the bone and they need to go in and fix it. I've been putting it off for a while now, but I gotta go get it done."

Celina's head was spinning. The announcement had come out of nowhere. She knew that Mark did suffer from the years of wear and tear, but the information that he was taking time off threw her for a loop.

"How soon are you leaving?" she asked.

"After the Bash," he told her. "I'm going to lose my match with Edge, get brutalized and leave for a few months."

"Why haven't...what...Mark, why couldn't you tell me. What the fuck?"

Mark took a deep breath. "I didn't want to worry you. I'll be out for a couple months, and I'll be back before you know it." He could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. "Oh, Jesus Christ, honey, don't you start crying and shit."

She shook her head. "What are they going to do with me then?" She was so confused.

"From what I understand, Vince is going to have you primarily with Glen and they'll move you to ECW until I get back. Since they're moving ECW tapings to Monday nights, you'll be away from Michelle, and you'll get to make new friends." He leaned forward and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But she didn't feel assured by anything. "Celina, this isn't the end of the world. I'm not a young guy anymore. These things happen. Shelton and Mark will be there for you, and I'll be back before you know it." The tears were flowing uncontrollably. He scooted closer to her and hugged her against him tightly as she cried. He chuckled.

"I thought you were from Texas," he teased.

"Fuck off." He smiled, hugging her tight, resting his head on top of hers.

"You mad at me?"

"You could have told me sooner, asshole." Mark tried to think about something to say to that, but realized he had a point. There was no real justification in not telling her.

"You forgive me?" She was silent for a minute. She sniffled.

"Maybe. I'll think about it." He laughed.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that." She sniffled. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're still fucking crying."

"Fuck off."

"Or what?"

"I'll kick your ass." The thought of that made Mark laugh.

"I'd pay to see you try that." He pulled back. "Just don't worry, Celina. Glen and Shelton will keep an eye out on you. And there's a lot of great people on Raw who'll look out for you. Mickie, Kennedy, Randy, Cena. Hell, at least you can take solace in the fact that Michelle is hardly ever at Raw." He shook his head. "Just take it easy. It's not like I'm retiring. It's not like I'm being suspended or anything. I just need to take care of myself." He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm very proud of everything you've accomplished here, Celina. And I know you hate hearing this, but I can't be there every step of the way. Just know I'll be watching you at home." She nodded. "Good. Now let's go back out there and play around with Shelton and Lisa...you know, I think Lisa's got it bad for yours truly."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Celina replied with a twinkle in her eye. "Everyone wants a piece of the Deadman it seems."

"What can I say? I leave them satisfied."

"Too much information, Mark," she replied with a grimace. Mark laughed, draping an arm around her shoulders and leading her out of the house.


	43. The Great American Bash

**Forty-Three**

_The Great American Bash_ was emanating from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, and it was a day that Celina had been dreading for a couple weeks. She stood alone in the Divas locker room, dressed in a pair of baggy black pants and a red halter top designed like Glen's red and black tights. She fixed her hair and retouched her lipstick before going out into the hallway. It was going to be a busy night for her; they wanted her to fight Michelle and then they wanted her to accompany Mark out to the ring. The plan was for her to be held back by Hawkins and Ryder as Neely, Chavo and Edge ripped Taker apart. Kane was going to be beaten within inches of his life in the ring tonight; but the plan was for him to make it to ECW. She took a deep breath, realizing that if things with Glen were bad, then they'd have to be worse for Mark.

Making her way down the hallway, she ran into Randy Orton and Mr. Kennedy talking. Randy was in a sling, recovering from a broken collarbone. He stopped her.

"Excuse me, you look familiar," Randy told her politely. She stared at him.

"I'm on SmackDown."

"I know that," he laughed. She heard a chuckle come from Kennedy as well. "I mean, elsewhere. Did you ever dance at Guerillas?"

She flushed a deep red. "Yeah," she answered. "Way back in the day."

Randy laughed. "I'm pretty sure I saw you. I was with a blond friend. Man, that place was nasty."

"You didn't work there," she retorted. He laughed.

"Touche. What's been up? I didn't know you were a friend of Mark's."

"It's pretty much common knowledge at this point," she laughed. "Among the other things."

"I was asking because I saw the flyer..." She groaned.

"Hey, take it easy," Kennedy told her. "It only looked worse on Michelle."

"Speaking of which, good luck on your match tonight," Randy told her. Ken nodded. "I know Mark's going away for a few months, so if you need anything at all, Kennedy and I are here."

"Thank you for the offer," she said. "How's your collarbone?"

"Sore, but the doc said I should be back and ready to go very quick."

"What the fuck did you do to him?"

Celina wheeled around to see Michelle approaching. Ken and Randy went to say something, but Celina held up a hand, motioning for them to stay still. Michelle was already in her ring gear, a black bikini top with black shorts, with gold fringer on the bottoms and on the front of the bikini, her hair in a ponytail.

"What the fuck did you do to him, Celina?" Michelle snapped. "You're forgetting he's not a young guy anymore? When I was with him, I _took care of him_! What the fuck have you done? He's off for surgery now." She shoved Celina, who stumbled back. Kennedy caught her. The guys went to speak, but Celina spoke first.

"Wow, Michelle, I'm so used to seeing you on your knees that I didn't realize how tall you were." She could hear the gasp of shock and the restrained laughter coming from the guys behind her. "I don't know what the hell you're getting at, but I'm pretty sure Mark - or Vince - doesn't appreciate your crazy ass attacking Divas all the time. We got a match tonight. You got issues with me - take it to the ring." Michelle glared at her. She thought about slapping Celina, it was obvious. But Kennedy and Orton were standing behind Celina, giving her murderous glares. Her shoulders slumped and she stalked off down the hallway. The guys released their laughter. "What a fucking bitch..." Celina let out a scream of surprise as Michelle attacked her from behind, knocking her to the ground and kicking at her repeatedly. Even with one arm, Randy swooped into action, slipping an arm around Michelle's waist and pulling her away as Kennedy helped Celina to her feet. Michelle threw back an elbow and connected with his healing collarbone. Randy shouted in pain and threw Michelle to the cold concrete of the arena floor as Celina and Kennedy watched in surprise.

"If you know what's good for you, McCool, I'd start running and fast," Kennedy advised her. Michelle scrambled to her feet and took off down the hallway. Randy made his way over to them, his face contorted in pain.

"Fucking bitch," Randy murmured under his breath.

"You all right, man?" Kennedy asked.

"Do me a favor and kick her ass tonight," Randy said to Celina.

"I'm way ahead of you there," she replied. Randy gave her a once over.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. My ribs just fucking hurt," she answered, her face contorted in a snarl. "I should get out there. I'm pretty sure my match is next, and I still need to see Mark afterwards." They nodded. "Feel better, Orton. Nice meeting you guys."

"See you around," they offered and she made her way down the hall, drawing in sharp breaths at each jolt of pain that overtook her ribs.

She could hear Michelle's theme just beyond the curtain and she rushed up the steps towards the ramp. "Everybody Down" would be starting pretty quick and she'd be out there to give Michelle the beating of a lifetime.

She heard her music start and she pushed the curtains open, trying to hide the fact hat Michelle just jumped her in the backstage area. Michelle had a cocky grin on her face as Celina made a beeline to the ring. Celina slid into the ring and took Michelle down with a double leg takedown, standing above her and leveling shot after shot to her face. She grabbed Michelle by the hair and started slamming her head into the canvas. Michelle flipped her over and began leveling her with hard slaps. Celina brought her legs under Michelle's arms and flipped her into a pin predicament for a one count. They both scrambled to their feet and Michelle kicked Celina in the stomach. As Celina doubled over, Michelle attempted a facecrusher, only to have it reversed, Michelle crashing to the canvas. She began leveling hard kicks to Michelle's ribs, kicking her repeatedly until Michelle fell out of the ring and to the floor outside. Celina backed up to the middle of the ring and motioned for Michelle to get back in there. The crowd was going rabid for Celina. Her ribs were throbbing, but she wasn't about to let Michelle know that she had one upped her, even if it was an underhanded attack.

Michelle was tanding at ringside, debating as to whether or not it was worth coming back into the ring. The referee was counting her out. "Come on! You wanted me, Michelle, I'm right here!" Celina shouted at her, motioning at her with her hands to get back into the ring.

Michelle reluctantly climbed onto the apron, only to have Celina throw her back into the ring with a flip. Michelle's body contorted on the canvas and she hit Michelle with a leg drop. She rushed to the corner and climbed the ropes, instantly bounding off with a moonsault. Michelle put her knees up and the wind was knocked right out of Celina. She curled into the fetal position on the canvas, trying to catch her breath when Michelle tried for the pin. Remembering Vince wanted her to go over in this match, she put her shoulder up by two. Michelle tried again and got the same result.

Celina struggled to her feet and Michelle charged at her. Celina countered with a powerful powerslam and dragged Michelle into the middle of the ring by her foot. She remembered what Shelton had showed her, and she locked in a Figure Four Leg Lock on Michelle in the middle of the ring. Realizing she had nowhere else to go, Michelle tapped out.

Celina was announced as the winner, but she didn't stay around long enough to celebrate. She still had to get back to Mark.

It was hard for Celina to go out for Mark's match at the end of the night. Kane was going to need about ten stitches in the back of his head from a lead pipe he took from Bam Neely, and she hated to think about what they were going to have to do to Mark.

Mark sensed her apprehension. "Just take it easy, Celina. I've been doing this for a lot of years." She nodded and they walked out to the ring together. The fans were rabid for the Undertaker. Celina couldn't even count the number of signs that were floating out there for him.

The match itself went smoothly, but it was obvious in some spots where Mark's hip problems lay. At the end of the match, when Edge won the match, she slid into the ring to check up on Mark.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "You did it. Just rest easy..."She let out a scream of surprise as she was unexpectedly grabbed from behind by Hawkins and Ryder. She knew it was coming; it was just unexpected. She began to struggle. After her match with Michelle, they had all met back in Mark's locker room and went over the entire situation.

Bam, Chavo and Vickie came out and while Vickie watched in satisfaction as they brutalized Mark. Celina saw all the blood and felt nauseous. She was screaming out to Mark, trying to move away from the guys, but they held a firm grasp for her. She was going insane. Vickie approached her and with a sick smile, hauled off and slapped her across the face. As Bam and Chavo took to beating the hell out of Mark, Vickie had Adam hit Celina with a hard Spear. The pay-per-view ended with The Familia standing in the ring, their arms held high in the sweet moment of victory.


	44. The Nick of Time

**Forty-Four**

Sitting behind the wheel of her car, Celina only exhaled, a small growl of irritation, with a twinge of agitation; she couldn't believe her luck. Fucking traffic. It wasn't even rush hour, but the cars were lined up about as far as her icy eyes could see. She had caught a red-eye to Houston the night before while Shelton was doing an autograph signing. He had been apprehensive about her going alone, but she had assured him she would be okay. She was supposed to be there at the signing with Shelton, but she had cancelled with Vince to do this. He had understood, and given her his blessing, although he had told her not to make a habit out of it. She knew that there were a lot of people who had issues with Vince, but the truth was that the man had been extraordinarily reasonable given the circumstances.

The lights turned green and the cars began to move and Celina began to weave around the traffic with ease. She was in a hurry; there was just no two ways about it. Time was not on her side. She pressed her foot down a little harder on the pedal and the car glided past the others quickly. She still had a fair amount to drive, and only a short window of time to get there.

She looked at the time. Almost one thirty. She had about a half hour. She had to keep going. She still needed to figure out where to go after she got there, and with the time ticking away slowly, she was fully aware that there was a good chance that she was going to miss him.

Meanwhile, across town at the hospital, Mark was sitting on a gurney, waiting to be wheeled into the operating room, dressed in nothing more than one of the godawful hospital gowns he had become so accustomed to in his line of work. His long hair was tied back, his eyes downcasted at the floor. It had been a long couple of days since the pay-per-view. Sara had called him the previous night; she would be bringing the kids to see him tomorrow, giving him the day to rest and recover when he came out of surgery. He'd be heavily sedated and would probably be disoriented or catatonic to say the least. He sighed; to say going under the knife didn't frighten him wouldn't be true; every time he went in for surgery, his mind would have brief flashes of whether or not he would wake up at the end of it. No matter how small. He supposed it was just a touch of fear that was completely natural. But he was the Undertaker; the fear of the unknown wasn't supposed to frighten him. But he knew better. He wasn't Taker; he was Mark, and the idea of having surgery after surgery at his age scared the hell out of him.

He took a deep breath. He hadn't heard from Celina. To say he was a little bit stung would have been an understatement. But he knew he had upset her by keeping it a secret until the last minute. He was leaving her alone for a few months to fend off the wolves that were plaguing her in the locker room. Like Michelle McCool. He shook his head. _What the fuck was I thinking with her?_ he thought to himself. A wide smile crossed his face; he definitely knew what he was thinking there. He was pretty sure that Celina knew what he was thinking too.

The doctor came in, snapping Mark out of his reverie and began to explain the procedure to Mark. They were going to do a scope and repair the bone chip. It wasn't a huge chip, and it was always a surprise to Mark how such a little thing could cause such a great deal of pain. He had suffered the same problem in his elbow a few years before. Back in the days when he was doing the biker gimmick.

He laid down on the gurney and they began to wheel him towards the operating room. The gurney wheeled out of the room and down the hallway. His feet were hilariously dangling over the edge. He smirked sardonically; sometimes he hated being so damn tall. He was trapped in his thoughts, trying not to think of the procedure, when he heard a voice. Definitely female.

"Mark!"

"Stop...stop..." He told the doctor. The doctor didn't listen the first time and he was tempted to sit up. "Damn it, I said stop for a second," he snarled impatiently. Seeing a tall man that angry, the doctor motioned for the guys to stop. The doctor shot Mark a look. "I thought I heard something." They quit wheeling the gurney and he motioned for them to be quiet.

"Mark!"

No, he definitely heard that. And he knew that voice anywhere. He propped himself up on his elbows and turned his head to see Celina running down the hallway, dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and an Original Deadman T-shirt. She made her way to the gurney. The doctor eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you his wife?"

"What? No."

"She's my sister," Mark replied with a wink to Celina. She smiled. He laid back down on the gurney. "I thought you had a signing today."

"I cancelled. I couldn't miss this," she replied, holding onto his hand tightly. They began to move the gurney again. Mark felt so thankful to have her with him at the moment. He didn't feel alone. She was staring down at him, her eyes offering a wordless comfort that he understood. Finally, they reached the doors that would take Mark into the operating room.

"Miss, you're going to need to let him go now," the doctor told her. Reluctantly, she released her hand from his. She stroked his hair softly, flashing him a soft smile.

"Celina, I..." he went to say, but she silenced him.

"Shh. Whatever you need to say can be said when everything's done. I'll be right here when you wake up, Mark. I promise." He flashed her a relieved smile. She was ushered back by a doctor as they wheeled Mark through the doors. He peered back at the doors to see her disappear from his view.


	45. Sara

**Forty-Five**

Exhaustion hit Celina like a tidal wave as she sat in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for Mark to come out of surgery. There had been an adrenaline rush, a surge of relief that had coursed through her when she had just made it. She knew for as long as she lived, she would never forget the range of emotions in Mark's eyes as he stared up at her. It was like a mixture of relief, optimism. That she hadn't forgotten about him. That she wasn't half as mad as he thought she would be about him keeping the information to the last minute.

The coffee was terrible; Celina couldn't understand why nobody could afford decent coffee at the hospital. She had drank at least three styrofoam cups of the stuff. Now she was just sitting in a chair, eyes downcasted to the floor, thinking about everything she and Mark had gone through together. And although she knew that he would make it through the surgery all right, there was still the brief flashes of fear over complications. Anything could happen. Life was just that unpredictable.

"Celina Cooper?"

Celina looked up from her spot in the waiting room to see a woman with two children beside her. The oldest child was holding a Barbie doll, dressed in a pretty pink dress with a tiara. The woman looked familiar to Celina, with piercing eyes and long brown hair. She couldn't quite put her face anywhere. "Yes?" Celina replied.

"I'm Sara," she answered, extending her hand. "Mark's ex-wife."

"Oh!" She remembered. She had seen pictures, and had even caught Sara on TV when she had been a blonde. Celina smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I heard you're a lot better than Michelle."

Sara laughed. Celina knew she wanted to say something about Michelle, but the children were close to her. Celina looked down at the girls. "Mark's daughters?"

"Yeah," Sara replied. "I know I told him that I'd bring them tomorrow, but the girls were really anxious to see their daddy. Any word on how he's doing?"

Celina shook her head. "He went in hours ago. Other than that, I don't even know. By the way, if anyone asks, Mark told the doctor I was his sister." Sara laughed. She seated the girls and sat down beside Celina.

"They're beautiful girls."

"They got beautiful parents," Sara replied and they both laughed. "They're my girls. I couldn't live without them...even if they did inherit Mark's temper." Celina laughed. Sara was silent for a minute. "Do you have any kids, Celina?"

"No," Celina answered. "I guess I'm just not meant to be a mom." Sara smiled.

"Every woman has the patience to be a mom...some just tap into it a little better than others." Sara shook her head. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting you. Mark speaks so highly of you."

Celina felt a blush crawl up her neck. "I don't know why," she replied. "He has a tendency to exaggerate things sometimes." Sara laughed.

"He always worried about you," Sara told her. "Wondering what you were up to. You couldn't imagine the shock when he told me you two never had anything between the two of you."

"A little skeptical, huh?"

"A little bit. But I wasn't half as bad as that little..." She stopped herself and took a deep breath. Celina got the point.

"Mark told you about that, didn't he?"

"Mark still tells me a lot," Sara confided. "He gave me the rundown of the whole situation between you three...it doesn't surprise me that she would stoop so low. Mark really owes you for that."

"I settled for an apology," Celina told her. Sara let out a low whistle.

"Then you're a better woman than I am, Celina," she replied. The oldest girl tugged on her mother's arm.

"Mommy, where's Daddy?" she asked.

"He's still in surgery, honey," Sara told her. "You girls, remember how Daddy always talked about Auntie Celina?" Celina was surprised, but the girls nodded. "Gracie, Chasey, this is Auntie Celina."

"I'm an auntie?" Celina whispered to Sara.

"Well, you are Mark's sister, aren't you?" Sara replied with a wink. Celina laughed. The oldest girl stood up and made her way in front of Celina.

"Do you want to see my dolly?" she asked. Celina nodded, a soft smile crossing her face.

"Sure."

She handed the doll over to Celina. Sara was a little surprised. "She hasn't let go of that thing for a few days."

"It's a very pretty dolly," Celina told Gracie, examining her delicate features before handing it back to her. Gracie smiled.

"I saw you on TV with Daddy." Celina nodded. "You're going to get them for hurting Daddy, right?"

Celina smiled. "Of course I am."

Gracie nodded in approval, as though that was all she needed to hear. "Good." Sara laughed as Gracie made her way back into her chair.

The doors of the operating room opened and the doctor came out, making his way down the hallway. Celina recognized him almost instantly and jumped to her feet. He went to walk past them, but Celina grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked at her.

"How is he?"

"Who?"

"Mark Calaway. Is he all right?"

"Oh, right," the doctor remembered. "Yes, he came through the procedure with flying colors. He's in recovery, awake, and in some pain."

"But he's fine?"

"Other than being a grumpy individual, yeah."

"Can we see him?" Celina asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, he's been asking for you. Go down the hall, and he's on the third door to your left." She nodded.

"Thank you." The doctor nodded and with Sara and the girls in tow, they made their way down to the hallway to see Mark.


	46. A Family Visit

**Forty-Six**

To say Mark was a grumpy bastard was an understatement. But he took one look at his daughters barreling into the hospital room, screaming for him, and his heart melted. Sara was leaned against the doorframe, looking as attractive as ever to him, dressed in a white sweater and blue jeans. The girls climbed onto the bed with him. "Careful...careful with Daddy's hip," he said. He was still visibly disoriented, and he didn't want his kids to see him like that, but he was happy to see them. He placed kisses on their forehead as they curled up under his giant arms. He looked over at Sara.

"You can come in, you know," he told her. Sara nodded and walked in, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside the bed. He looked around. "Is Celina still here?"

Sara nodded. "She wanted to give you some time with the girls," Sara answered. "But she's beside herself with worry about you."

"That sounds like Celina," he said. He shook his head, trying to get the cobwebs out. "I thought you weren't bringing the girls until tomorrow."

"They were screaming to see you," Sara replied, "You try saying no to them." Mark laughed. He couldn't say no to his girls if he tried. They were his princesses. And if anyone were to tell him that they were spoiled, he'd be the first to look them in the eye and say, "You're damn right they are."

"So what do you think of Celina?" he asked. He was surprised at how off his voice sounded. He was definitely disoriented, and he was so very aware of it.

"She seems like a nice girl, Mark. Did you even bother telling her you made her an honorary aunt to the girls?"

Mark stopped and tried to think about it. "I think I forgot about it," he answered honestly. "To be honest, it's been one thing after another since I picked her up."

"How are you feeling, Mark?"

He contemplated his answer for a second. "Sore. But the doctor said after this my hip should be better than ever." He knew Sara wanted to ask if this was the time for him to consider retirement. She asked him every injury. It was hard for her to see him in pain all the time. But they both understood the risks of the business. But to say the surgeries didn't make Sara nervous would have been an understatement. Especially when the amount of surgeries had slowly increased over the years. "I'll be out for a couple months. Celina's been beside herself since I told her I was going to be out."

"I've seen what she's been doing on SmackDown...you can tell she's a beginner, but she's passable."

"I'm proud to say I lent a hand in her training," he replied. "The first night I saw her do the Old School, I couldn't have smiled any wider." Chasey hit his hip and he sucked in a breath. Sara leaned over and moved Chasey off of her father as he sucked in a breath, his eyes closing. Gracie panicked.

"Daddy?"

"It's all right, honey. Daddy's just in pain." Sara smiled.

"I'm all right," Mark murmured in agitation. It wasn't at the girls. The pain had just irritated him. He struggled to sit up a little bit.

"Sorry, Daddy," Chasey apologized. He smiled.

"It's all right, honey," he soothed her. "You just have to be careful." She nodded. "How are you girls doing?"

Gracie and Chasey instantly began telling him everything they were learning at school at once and he laughed, trying to follow them both at the same time. It was difficult, but over the years he had been at home with the girls, it had been a practice that he had perfected.

"Sara, can you tell me what time it is?" Mark asked a while later. The girls were starting to doze on him. Sara wished she had a camera for the sight before her. She checked the watch on her wrist.

"It's quarter to nine. We've been in here for a few hours now."

"Poor Celina. She must be going insane out there."

"I'll bring the girls back here after school tomorrow," Sara told him, gathering Chasey in her arms as Mark woke up Gracie. "Say bye to Daddy, girls. I'll bring you back to him tomorrow after school."

For a moment, Gracie looked like she was going to throw a tantrum. But she threw her arms around Mark's neck, her knee scraping against his incision and he groaned in pain. "Daddy?"

"It's okay, it's okay," he assured her quickly, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you girls tomorrow. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy," the girls chimed in unison.

"Take it easy tonight, Mark," Sara advised him. He scoffed.

"Where am I going to go? Detroit?" he asked. Sara shook her head.

"You know what I mean. I'll let Celina know you're ready to see her. She's been so worried about you." He nodded.

"Drive safe, Sara." She nodded.

"Rest easy." With the girls waving enthusiastically, they disappeared out of the hospital room, leaving Mark to rest his head back, smiling at the visit he had just had with his little angels.


	47. Good Times

**Forty-Seven**

Celina was leaned against the doorframe of Mark's hospital room, a small smile on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. He caught sight of her and a wide smirk crossed his face. "Hey."

"How are you feeling, big guy?" she asked. Mark was still semi-hazy. He raised an arm and beckoned him into the room. She made her way into the room and sat down in a chair beside the bed. She stroked a strand of hair out of his face.

"I'm kind of sore. Chasey forgets that Daddy's not a jungle gym." She chuckled, causing a smirk to cross his face.

"Those are your girls, huh?"

"My princesses," he told her. "Nobody fucks with my girls." He weas silent for a few minutes. "So what did you think of Sara?"

"She seems like a nice woman, Mark. How did you let her slip away?"

Mark smiled sadly. "It's the job," he told her. "We sacrifice it all. We sacrifice the communication, seeing each other daily. We miss first steps, baseball games, ballet recitals. It's not an easy life, Celina. And it takes a very special kind of woman to understand it." She nodded. "It's hard to be with a woman outside of the business. The time apart does a lot of damage." He shook his head. "I never have been the greatest husband, but I tried my damnedest with Sara."

"Try not to think about that now, Mark," she said to him. "Right now, what's important is you getting some rest. You had a pretty rough day today, Mark."

He nodded. "I guess sometimes having these things happen...it just makes you think."

"And what have you been thinking about, Mark?"

He stopped for a second and contemplated his answer. "Life's just strange sometimes. You know, we all look for a way to make a quick dollar without doing a whole hell of a lot, but at the end of the day, we never appreciate the little things, you know?"

"You're still a little high, Mark," she replied, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I'll let you get some sleep, all right?"

"Celina?"

"What?"

"Don't leave." He was surprised at himself. She looked at him and he thought about what to say. "Honestly, Celina, I don't want to be alone right now." She rested her head on her hand and stared at him with a smile on her face.

"I understand," she replied softly.

"You don't even know how thankful I am that you made it over here," he told her. "I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"How the hell can I forget about you?" she asked. She shook her head. "I called Vince and cancelled the signing because I couldn't go through with it knowing you were about to go in for surgery. I caught a red eye and got caught in traffic." She shook her head. "I couldn't let you go under alone."

He smiled. After all these years, her friendship still meant so much to him. He couldn't imagine what would have happened had he stayed away from her and stayed with Michelle. His gaze shifted to the window; the sun was starting to fade behind the horizon. "That was a pretty average match you had at the _Bash_," he told her. She laughed.

"Fuck - here you are, ten stitches in your forehead and god knows how many in your hip and you want to bitch at _me _for my match at the _Great American Bash_? Jesus Christ, Mark..."

"It's twenty stitches, for your information," he said, motioning to his hip. "If you want, I can show you."

The thought made her laugh. "No thanks."

"I'll even count them."

"Don't need to be seeing any of that now."

"Squeamish?"

"No. Just don't need to be seeing your equipment."

"I'd give Shelton a run for his money," he replied. She shook her head, laughing.

"You've seen Shelton's, have you?" Celina asked, a wide smirk playing at her features. Mark realized what he had just said and he tried to explain himself. "Don't care, Mark, you walked into that one," she replied. He groaned and they shared a laugh. She rested her head on his arm.

"Don't you ever get afraid with all these surgeries, Mark?"

He exhaled. "Of course I do, Celina," he answered. "I'm not a young guy anymore...and these damn things seem to be getting more and more serious. But you know, the only other alternative to this is to live the rest of my life in pain...and to give up what I love. And I'm just not ready to do that, Celina."

"I know, Mark," she said to him, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. She was captivated by his tattoos. They were in a comfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity until her voice broke through.

"_And we lived beneath the waves, in our yellow submarine..."_

Mark groaned. "Celina..."

"_We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine,"_ Celina sang softly. "Come on, Mark, you know you want to."

"Fuck, I hoped you forgot about that," Mark replied, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. She scoffed at the idea.  
"Fuck no! How many girls can say their best friend - or The Undertaker, for that matter - serenaded his favorite lady friend with her favorite song in the world for her birthday?"

"Fuck, Celina, you were sixteen!"

"And you were twenty-one...come on, Mark, admit it, you always wanted to be a rockstar." He started laughing.

"Who doesn't?"

"That's why you were all out singing Margaritaville with Glen." Mark groaned again.

"I was drunk!"

"You had fun."

"I'm too high for your nonsense," he murmured. Celina laughed. Mark ran a hand through her hair. "Man, we've done a lot of stupid shit, haven't we?" he chuckled. She nodded.

"I couldn't think of anybody better to do stupid shit with though," she answered. She rested her head back down on Mark's arm. "If only everyone knew the shit we used to do together..."


	48. In The Middle of the Night

**Forty-Eight**

"_In the time when I was born...lived a man who sailed to sea...and he told us of his life...in a land of submarines..."_

Celina's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the soft singing. Opening her eyes initially and gazing out at the cobalt abyss that was beyond the windows, she was surprised to find it was the middle of the night. What surprised her even more was Mark murmuring the lyrics to her as she slept. She looked up at him and smiled. "Mark?" she inquired, taken aback by his singing. He silenced almost instantly and she wondered if she had embarassed him by announcing her awakened state. He shot her a deep scowl. He looked almost creepy in the darkness.

"Song's fucking stuck in my head, you evil bitch," he told her, his tone hushed. She laughed, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear. Her arm was numb.

"What time is it?" she inquired, looking around for any sign of a clock on the white walls. She couldn't see anything. "Why aren't you asleep? Are you okay?"

"I'm not asleep because my arm fell asleep because you're head's so goddamn heavy." She rolled her eyes; even in the middle of the night, he wasn't above acting like a juvenile delinquent. She shook her head.

"Oh, fuck off," she said softly. He chuckled.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, hon," he informed her. His apology was dismissed with a wave of her hand. She shook her head, trying to get the cobwebs out; her neck hurt from the way she had fallen asleep, hunched over onto Mark's arm. He sensed it and started rubbing the back of her neck. She put her head down onto the thin mattress and let him try and soothe out the kinks in her neck. "I didn't want to move you."

"You couldn't move me," she reminded him matter-of-factly, blindly motioning to the beeping machines around him. "You're hooked up to machines and bed-ridden." She closed her eyes. Her neck was really tense. "How's your hip feeling?"

"A little sore," he admitted. "But they've got me pumped up with enough sedatives to keep me nice and docile." She laughed, but her eyes were still darting around for any sign of a clock. It was important that she figured out what time it was.

"Seriously, Mark, what time is it?" she asked. "I have to get back to the hotel and get my stuff. Vince wants me at the tapings tonight. Said there's big plans for me."

He looked around. "I don't know what time it is, Celina, but I don't even think it's dawn yet." She yawned and in the darkness, she could sense him examining her closely. "Are you going to be all right to drive?"

"Of course I'll be all right, Mark," she replied, "Nothing I haven't dealt with before." She struggled to her feet. "I'll try to get down here as soon as possible, okay? When are you getting released?"

"If everything goes good, Thursday." She nodded. She was pretty sure she had a house show appearance that night.

"I'll be out on Friday for the weekend, okay?" He nodded.

"Are you bringing Shelton?"

"I might," she replied. "I'm amazed he didn't go all Michelle on me when I dropped everything and came out here." She shot him a look. "Do you want me to bring Shelton out?"

"So long as you too don't get all freaky in my house and shit, it's fine." She shook her head.

"Mark, you're a pervert."

"You love me."

"That I do," she answered, kissing his forehead. "I'll call you when you get home. If you need anything, call my cell, all right?" He nodded. "Rest easy, Mark."

"I'll see you this weekend, Celina."

She nodded and slowly let herself out of the room, shooting concerned glances at Mark until she finally disappeared from his view. He laid his head back; he wasn't tired in the slightest. She was one of the most important women in his life. And for the first time in his entire time knowing Celina, he wondered just why there had never been anything between the two of them. He brushed off his initial thought; things never would have worked out anyway. She was just too much like a sister to him. But he knew damn well that a woman like Celina Cooper was one in a million, and he'd be lucky to find one in his lifetime that was even a little bit like her.


	49. Loser Leaves SmackDown

**Forty-Nine**

Celina burst into the arena and quickly made her way to the makeshift office that belonged to Vince. She looked like shit, to put it mildly, barely sleeping on the plane and running straight to the arena. Celina was visibly sleep-deprived, exhausted from the travel, knowing full-well that she had to work through her exhaustion to put on a great match with Michelle. She knew it was going to take a lot of cosmetic magic to make her look passable on TV that night, and she knew that she was going to have to bust her ass.

Vince was there with his son Shane; Stephanie had long since left on maternity leave. Glen was also there, dressed in his tights and an old See No Evil T-shirt that had been released prior to his film debut. "How is he?" Vince asked.

"He's in pain, but pending no major complications, they'll be releasing him Thursday." Vince nodded and made a note to call Mark Thursday afternoon when he got home from the hospital. Celina made her way into the room and sat down between Shane and Glen. "What's this about?"

"Well, we have new plans for you now that Mark is out for surgery," Vince told her. "Your match with Michelle tonight will be a loser leaves SmackDown match." She nodded; Mark had already told her that they were going to be putting her primarily with Glen, so a brand change didn't surprise her as much as Vince expected. "After she goes over, we're going to put you over on ECW with Glen for a while. Since SmackDown and ECW are connected under that harebrained idea we had a few months ago, you'll still be carrying on your program with the Familia." She nodded. Shane stood, checking his watch.

"Dad, I have a meeting I have to get to," he replied. "Is everything all right here?"

"I think so," Vince replied. "Celina?"

She nodded. "Everything's good, Shane-O. Enjoy your meeting."

"Right," he scoffed, flashing her a grin as he made his way out of the office. She turned her attention back to Vince.

"I'm glad to hear he's all right, Celina," he told her, leaning back in his chair. "Mark's been damn loyal to this company for the last eighteen years. He's given his blood, sweat and tears to us." She nodded; she wasn't sure where he was going with this. "Can you two keep a secret?" Celina and Glen exchanged bewildered glances, but nodded. "When Mark gets back, I want to put the World Heavyweight Championship on him for an extended period of time." Celina's face lit up; she could only imagine how Mark would be reacting to the news. "As a thank you to the legacy he's established here."

Vince sensed her pride and smiled. "I know Mark will be just as excited as you, Celina. Now, go get yourself ready for your match. You look like shit."

"Wow. That was blunt," she replied, smirking. Vince chuckled and she stood. She gave Glen a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you at the ECW tapings." He nodded and she left the office.

"Celina!"

She turned her head to see Lisa run over to her, dressed in her ring gear; black shorts and a black halter with fishnet covering her arms, shoulders and stomach. "How is he?"

"Mark? He's all right," she answered. "I spent all last night at the hospital with him."

"He's so lucky to have a friend like you," Lisa replied. She blushed. "I'm serious. There's not a whole lot of people who would have dropped everything and flown halfway across the US to see him into surgery." Celina smiled.

"You in action tonight?" she asked. Lisa nodded.

"I'm up against Barbie at the ECW tapings tonight. You?"

"Loser leaves SmackDown match against Michelle and from there I'll be shipped to ECW to be with Glen until Mark gets back." Lisa nodded. Celina looked down at Lisa's shirt. It was half a broken heart and said "Best". "What's with the shirt?"

"Natalya has the other half. It says friends," Lisa replied. "Some lameass thing management wanted us to wear." They both laughed. "Keep me posted about the Deadman, all right?"

"You know it," Celina replied. Lisa flashed her an appreciative smile as she took off down the hallway. With a sigh, Celina went towards the Divas locker room to clean herself up before the match. For now, it would be her last match on SmackDown. She hoped when they moved ECW tapings to Monday that she wouldn't have any contact with Michelle at all. She took a deep breath; no matter what happened at the end of the night, she was still going to miss Mark. She wished he was there.


	50. Swan Song

**Fifty**

_"And when I stomp you, that'll be the end of you, that's it. It's the end of you, time to jump ship...cause I'm a psycho and I'm crazy..."_

The lights flared up and the fans roared. Celina walked through the curtain, her face contorted into a snarl. She had cleaned up her appearance. Her hair had been styled around her face, and she was dressed in a red halter that exposed her midriff and a pair of black bell-bottoms. She was visibly upset about having to leave Mark, but she still slapped hands with fans. A few screamed for Mark's return, and there wasn't a whole lot she could do to alleviate their agitation. She only flashed them sad smiles as she made her way up the steps and got into the ring. She began to pace back and forth as though she were a caged animal, jumping from foot to foot, rotating her shoulders. Her music faded to silence and the fans were still shouting to her. Her mind was racing; she always wondered how people could keep straight faces knowing they were about to lose, about to win. She still had so much to learn.

_"You're not enough for me...just another man in love with me..."_

The fans booed, but Michelle McCool came out, seemingly oblivious to the fan's irritation with her. She was dressed in a silver outfit, slapping hands with children who were oblivious to her stunts. She climbed into the ring. She tried to charge at Celina, but referee Mickey Henson held her back. Her music faded and they stared each other down in the middle of the ring, the referee standing between them.

"Let's get it over with," Michelle replied, disinterested. Celina smirked.

"Isn't that what Mark told you?" Celina asked. Michelle's hand swung out and she slapped Celina, hard. Celina's head rocked back, but as her head made its way back, she brought her hand up and slapped Michelle hard enough to rock her head back. The referee had wisely backed up and called for the bell. The two Divas circled around the ring as the bell rang. Their gazes were intense on one another. She knew that Michelle was to go over on this one, but she was going to give Michelle one fuck of a good fight.

Michelle and Celina tied up in the middle of the ring. Celina planted her feet. Michelle tried to push at Celina, but Celina threw her back. Michelle glared up at her angrily. Celina smiled. Having to push Shelton around so much paid off.

Michelle slowly made her way to her feet and they began to move in a circle. They tied up again, and Celina pushed Michelle back in a corner. Mickey called for a break and she gave Michelle only a clean break, only to have Michelle slap her. Celina grabbed her by the hair and threw her across the ring. She was admonished for grabbing Michelle by the hair, but Celina brushed him off. She trudged towards Michelle, but was leveled by a kick to the stomach, and a kick to the face. Celina landed on her back on the mat. She was almost certain she heard a crunch when Michelle's foot hit her. She felt her nose and was surprised to see blood on her fingertips. Within seconds, Michelle was on top of her, hitting her with shot after shot after shot to her bleeding nose. Celina moved her legs under Michelle's arms and flipped her into a pin predicament. Michelle kicked out at one, and they both scrambled to their feet. Michelle charged at Celina, only to have Celina hit her with a clothesline. Michelle made it back to her feet only to be taken down by another clothesline. Celina began kicking at Michelle. The blood was dripping all over the place and there wasn't anything Celina could do to stop it. With the pain she was in, she was almost certain that her nose was broken. _Fuck_, she thought, trying to wipe some blood away with the back of her hand as she kicked at the proclaimed "All American Diva". Michelle swung her foot under Celina and she tripped, landing hard on the canvas. Her nose was screaming in pain. She knew that she was going to have to check in with Dr. Rios before she left.

Michelle leaned down to talk trash to Celina, who rolled her up with an inside cradle for two. Michelle kicked Celina hard in the ribs, causing Celina to roll into the fetal position, fighting to catch her breath. Her nose was dripping, leaving dime-sized blood drops on the canvas. She kicked hard at Celina's ribs again and she lost her breath. She began to crawl towards the ropes as Michelle taunted her. Celina made it to the top rope, to the standing position, only to be rolled up for a two count. Celina made it to her feet, blood flowing freely all over her arms and her clothing. Michelle whipped her into the ropes and kicked her in the stomach on the way back. Doubled over, Celina was set up for the Wings of Love; however, she flipped Michelle over her back, sending Michelle sprawling to the canvas. Celina ran into the ropes and went to hit the elbow, but Michelle moved. As Celina writhed in pain on the canvas, Michelle locked in her submission hold. Celina tried to counter out, tried to think of a way to counter out, but she could feel herself choking on the blood trailing back down her nose, into her throat, and she quickly tapped. The referee called for the bell, but Michelle wouldn't release the hold as Celina began to choke and cough. She started to panic, but Mickey Henson and a few referees burst in and pulled Michelle out of the hold, leaving Celina to roll onto her side, coughing and choking. Michelle went towards Celina again, but the flames rose high with a loud explosion and Glen made his way out, walking with a purpose to the ring. Michelle rolled out of the ring and took off through the crowd. Glen slid into the ring and made his way over to Celina, who was still fighting to regain her breath, coughing and sputtering.

"Sit her up!" Glen barked. Gently, the referees helped her up. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and she started to feel incredibly warm.

"Glen..." she began. He noticed the color had drained from her. He shot a glance at Charles Robinson.

"Let's get her backstage. I think she's going to be sick." Glen helped Celina move to the edge of the ring as the referees slid out. Glen picked Celina up, flashing her a comforting smile as she nestled her head into his chest. He carried her backstage as she fought the urge to be sick.


	51. Miserable

**Fifty-One**

Celina felt like shit as she returned to the backstage area. Her tenure as a SmackDown Diva was officially over and she was about to be an ECW Diva. She felt pretty extreme as she looked in the mirror and saw the dark bruising around her eyes. It had been utter chaos when she had gotten backstage. Glen had put her down in time for her to throw up violently. Shane McMahon had been beside her, holding her hair back while Glen rubbed her back. Shelton had a hard time making his way through all the people who had crowded the halls in hopes of taking care of Celina. Shane looked over at Glen. "Get her to Rios; her nose is definitely broken." Glen nodded. Shane stood to his feet and stared at the sea of people. "Back up!" he shouted, "Back up! She needs to get to the trainer!" The people parted like the Red Sea as Glen and Celina made their way towards the trainer's room.

"How are you feeling, honey?"

"I haven't eaten dinner yet...why am I throwing up?" she whined. Glen smirked; she was so cute, despite the fact her nose was still bleeding and she was covered in blood. They made it to the trainer's room where Dr. Rios was waiting. He had her sit up while he worked at fixing up her nose and stopping the bleeding. From there they were going to have to straighten her nose and more than likely glue it shut. She groaned.

Shelton made his way down the hallway. He had caught the instant replay once he had gotten back from talking to Ted DiBiase, Jr. He was instantly worried. She had carried on, and he admired her for working through the injury despite being a beginner, but now he was worried. He was pretty sure that her nose was broken. She had looked pretty worse for the wear. But he was thankful that Glen had made it out there to give her a hand.

The door to the trainer's office opened and Glen stepped out. "Shelton."

"Glen, is she all right?" Glen contemplated his answer.

"I guess it depends on your definition of all right," Glen answered honestly. "She's thrown up her stomach contents, her eyes are black and blue and there's a good chance that her nose is going to be glued shut for the night. And once it's reset...poor thing is going to be in a world of pain that no amount of kisses and cuddles will help."

Shelton cocked an eyebrow. Glen shook his head. "Can I see her?"

"They're working on her right now," Glen told him, closing the door behind him. "She doesn't want anyone to see her in that condition." They heard a bloodcurdling scream from beyond the doors. Shelton tried to rush in but Glen held him back. "It's okay; she's fine, Shelton," Glen assured him. "They just set her nose. Dr. Rios promised that he would come out when it was finished and then we could visit her. You can take her back to the hotel, make sure she's comfortable and keep her sedated." He nodded.

"Fucking bitch probably did it on purpose."

"I didn't catch it," Glen replied, "But knowing everything going on with those two, I wouldn't rule it out." He shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's gone into shocked. She's in pretty fucked up shape right now." Shelton took a deep breath. He could hear her crying beyond the doors. "I'm proud of her for continuing."

"So am I," Shelton confessed. "But fuck...all that blood." Glen nodded with a chuckle.

"I don't think she's even seen that much blood in her life," Glen said. The door opened and Dr. Rios stepped out.

"How is she?"

"Nose is broken. She'll be okay, but when she sleeps tonight, keep her elevated. We've got her sedated enough to keep her docile till morning, and I've written up a perscription for her. Pick it up tomorrow morning, no later, because when the side effects wear off she's going to be more miserable than she ever has been. Make sure she's resting. It's going to take a couple weeks for it to heal. I'll talk to Vince and see if it means that she's off TV until she heals up." Glen nodded. Shelton did the same. "I'll get on that," he replied. "In the meantime, Shelton, get her back to the hotel and relaxed. She's going to be pretty miserable and pretty sick for the next couple days." He nodded and Dr. Rios excused himself, going back into the room.


	52. Shelton's Latenight Reflections

**Fifty-Two**

Shelton helped Celina into their hotel room at the end of the night. She was still a little bit loopy from all the sedation that accompanied her nose injury. She could barely walk a straight line. Shelton held her still and helped her into her pajamas as she slurred on about how Michelle was going to pay when she got back to SmackDown. Shelton put the nightgown on over her head and slid it down before leading her to the bed. He had her sit on the side as she babbled incoherently while he moved the pillows so that she was elevated. As it was, it was going to be difficult for her to sleep since she breathed through her nose. He gently guided her back to the pillow and tucked her in. She was out like a light in an instant. He smiled, leaning down to place an affectionate kiss on her forehead before he went to get ready for bed. It was going to be a fun flight with her tomorrow with her nose in such rough condition.

The phone rang and Shelton exhaled; he was pretty sure he knew who that was. He rushed over and picked it up. "Benjamin."

"What the fuck happened?"

"Hello to you, too, Mark," Shelton replied. Mark sucked in a breath. Shelton wasn't sure if it was because of his remark or a jolt of pain that may have rocked through his surgically repaired hip.

"Hello, Shelton. What the fuck happened? Is she all right? Let me talk to her."

"She's fine, Mark. She's passed out. She's sedated into oblivion." He shook his head. "I think the fucking bitch did it on purpose."

"I think so, too," Mark replied. "Do you know what the game plan is?"

"I'm not sure. Vince is holding a meeting with Dr. Rios and we'll have word tomorrow if they're going to keep her on TV or not."

"I saw Glen help her out of the ring."

"It was fucking pandemonium backstage when her nose got crunched," Shelton replied, "I had a hell of a time getting to her when she got backstage. I'm amazed Glen got out there as soon as he did." He shook his head. "She's so out of it though."

"You'll let her know I called, right?"

"You know it, Mark. Are you home?"

"Not for another couple days...thank God for cell phones."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit, but the doc says once that passes, I'll feel great. It'll be a little while though." He paused. "You coming out this week too?"

"I was thinking about it. Are you sure that you're cool with that?"

"Why the fuck not?" Mark asked. "Anyway, Celina could use some more time with me. You know her birthday's next week right?"

Shelton blinked. "I didn't know that."

"What? She didn't tell you?"

"Evidently not."

"Well, Shelton, you and I got a party to plan." Shelton smirked and sat down on the couch, and began to make plans while Celina slept peacefully on the bed. When he finished talking to Mark, he hung up. He was exhausted. He looked over at Celina on the bed, her face covered in a protective mask, her hair fanned out over the elevated pillows. She looked like his injured angel. He smirked at the thought and went into the bathroom to take a shower and change into his pajamas.

He didn't think it was possible to find somebody like Celina. Since they had gotten together, they hadn't fought, everything seemed to just flow between them. And she was a hell of a cook; he had to admit that he ate a whole lot better than he did with Alexa. Making dinner at home was always their special time together, where they just had fun and got creative. The fact that he got to travel with her all the time made things great between them, too. There was never the suspicions of him cheating, or her cheating, and the fact they were going to move her to ECW to be with Glen only meant that they were going to have more time together at the tapings, and still have the same schedule.

He got into his pajamas and brushed his teeth. He understood that it wasn't easy for Mark and Celina. No matter how close they were, there was always somebody there telling them there was something more there. Shelton would be the first to admit he had his pangs of jealousy from time to time with Mark and Celina; he only dreamed of her being that close with him. And she and Mark would be perfect together if it ever happened because they had such a deep understanding of one another. But he knew that Celina was an honest woman, and when she looked at him with those blue eyes and said that the window of opportunity had passed for the two of them, he believed it.

He felt for Mark. She was a perfect woman, beautiful, understanding, charsimatic, stubborn, strong, and the best friend he'd ever have. But being her best friend opened him up to whispers and speculation. Michelle had absolutely lost her fucking mind the first time she had seen Celina hug Mark. And it had opened a can of worms that had almost ripped the two apart. Shelton knew better; any issue he had with anything he went to Celina first and they talked it out, and it usually had nothing to do with Mark. He knew that the last thing he could ever do was make Celina choose between him and Mark, because in the end, he just wouldn't win it. Plain and simple. And he wouldn't expect anything else from Celina. Mark was part of the package; to love Celina, you have to get past Mark...and so far he seemed to be doing a good job.

He checked his reflection in the mirror. He was bagged, and it was obvious. The constant flying and time zone changes didn't bother him too much, but there were definitely days where it caught up with him. And with the chaos of Celina getting her first major in-ring injury and the traveling from coast to coast, today was definitely one of those days when it all caught up to him.

Shutting out the light, he went back into the bedroom area and crawled into bed with Celina. Just sleeping beside her was the best part of being with her. He just felt so comfortable around her. It had taken a while for her to stop using the spare room at his place, but the first night she had slept in his bed beside him, he had held her tightly, as though he were afraid she was going to disappear. Every night he curled up close to her and held her tightly, watching her sleep until his eyes finally shut for the night. And tonight was no different.


	53. On The Way To Houston

_**Author's Note: Normally I don't add these thingies on stories, but I just want to say thank you to everybody who has put this on alerts and reviewed. Please keep it up, and thank you all so very, very much for making this my first wrestling fic to hit over 100 reviews! You are all tremendous! (Jennie)**_

**Fifty Three**

Despite the protective mask covering her face, Celina looked phenomenal Thursday morning at dawn, dressed in a sleeveless glittering emerald green minidress, her feet adorned in white heeled sandals that laced up to the ankle. Shelton was beaming as he led her through the airport, his arm linked with hers. Heads were turning everywhere, fans were stopping to talk to them, and they were signing autographs. A few were concerned and asked Celina how she was feeling. She appreciated the concern and told them it was a pain in the ass to breathe.

One fan stopped them, a guy wearing an Original Deadman shirt. "Are you Celina?" he asked. She nodded and he handed her a piece of paper. The guy basically ignored Shelton, which amused the duo more than slightly. "Can you sign this? I'm a huge fan." She nodded and had Shelton turn his back so she could use him as a steady surface. She handed him the slip of paper. "How is Mark? Do you know?"

"Of course," she answered, "Shelton and I are on our way to see him now."

"Oh, my God! Is he coming back?"

"I guess it depends on how he's healing," Celina replied. "He's in pretty rough shape still so the time frame on a return is pretty wide."

"And yours? Your nose is broken right?"

"Yes, it is. But as far as I know I'm off until it heals up." He nodded. The woman's voice came over the loudspeaker saying the next flight to Houston was boarding. "I've got to go. It's nice to meet you..."

"Chris."

"Chris. Have yourself a safe flight," she replied, shaking his hand. "It was nice to meet you."

"Same," he said, "You're hot." He walked away. Shelton's face was incredulous. She laughed. He dipped his head to the side and kissed her.

"You can be hot to millions of guys," he told her, "but that doesn't change the fact that I get to do this all the time." She laughed. Kissing her was a chore in her face mask, but Shelton always worked around it. With their arms linked, they made their way towards the boarding gate. They handed their boarding passes to the woman and made their way on the plane.

"So what all did Mark say to you last night?" she asked as they made their way onto the plane.

"You didn't hear anything?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I was out of it last night...I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow," she answered, taking her seat against the window. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine. He seemed more worried about you last night," he said. "He wanted to talk to you, but you were so far gone..."

She nodded. "I'll be seeing him today anyway." Shelton nodded; they were slated to land in Houston at around noon and after gathering their luggage and getting a rental car, they were going to pick Mark up from the hospital. From there, they were going to take Mark home. He had called just after their alarm went off; he was clamoring to go home and he was sick of hospital fod. He had then asked to talk to Shelton and he had left the room. Celina had found it kind of odd, but she had let it go. So long as the two of them were getting along, that was all that she could ask for.

She stared out of the window of the plane as they began to ascend into the sky, and she found her thoughts going to Michelle McCool...she wanted her vengeance. She promised herself the next time they were in a ring together, she'd do things that would be legal on the outside. She wasn't stupid. Michelle could have just kicked, and warned her to sell. Instead, she kicked her face hard and broken her nose. It was unprofessional, and Vince was beside himself because it mean that both Mark and Celina were out of action for awhile. He had wanted Celina on ECW to run a program against Barbie. Now she was out of action for about a month, and they had to put every plan they wanted for her on hold. She thought about it; she wouldn't be surprised if they just kept her off TV until Mark made his return. Either way, she was itching to get her hands on Michelle. She was sure that when she was healed, she'd need to call Vince and get the match set up. And not just any kind of match. She was an ECW Diva now, and she wanted to get hardcore.


	54. Mark's House

**Fifty-Four**

Mark wasn't moving too quickly on the way out of the hospital, but Celina climbed out of the car and helped him inside, making sure he was comfortable. She climbed into the backseat. "How are you feeling?"

"Fuck, I'm fine," he answered. "Are you all right? I saw what happened. What a bitch."

"I'm all right, Mark," she assured him. "But any creative plans for me are really up in the air right about now." Mark nodded; he understood.

"I'm just glad you're okay. She had no right to do that," he raged.

"Don't worry about it, Mark. I'll get the little bitch back."

"I know you will," he assured her.

"Do you need to stop anywhere, Mark?" he asked. Mark shook his head.

"No. You?"

"No. I took care of everything."

"What?"

"Just in general, Celina," Shelton replied. "So we're just heading back to your place, right?"

"Right."

"You know I have no clue where that is right?"

"You couldn't print up a fucking map last night?"

"I was tired!"

"Fuck, Shelton..." Mark's voice trailed off. He stared out the window, mumbling, "Nobody can do anything right...gotta fucking do it yourself..."

"Oh, get the fuck out of here, man," Shelton replied with a roll of his eyes. "I did not fly out all this way to hear this, man."

"Well, you're here now, so deal with it," Mark snapped. Celina was laughing. "The fuck are you laughing about back there?"

"Take a Midol," she told him between giggles.

"Not another peep out of you, young lady."

"And what are you going to do?" He was at a loss for words, so he flashed her the middle finger while directing Shelton to his home. Celina leaned her head against the window. It had been so long since she had been in Texas. Or at Mark's house. She hadn't been there since Michelle's pregnancy scare.

She noticed a few cars parked inside the gates of Mark's home. "What's with all the cars?"

"I'm not sure," Mark replied, but in the rearview mirror, Celina could see a grin tugging at his features.

"Mark..."

"I'm not fucking sure, Celina; goddamn." She shook her head as they pulled through the gates and into the driveway, parking between a red car and a black car. Celina was the first to climb out of the car and Shelton climbed out, making his way around the front to help Mark out.

"Can you guys take me into the backyard?" Mark asked. "I need some fresh air." Celina stared at Shelton suspiciously.

"You heard the man," Shelton replied, "Into the backyard we go." They bypassed the front doors and took him around the side of the house, slowly guiding him along. He winced in pain with his steps.

"Mark..."

"I'm fine, Celina," he groaned. They stepped into the backyard.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Celina!"

Her jaw dropped as Mark and Shelton flashed her a wide smile. She saw her sister Anne and her parents, and Glen, Lisa and Nattie were all there. They already had red plastic cups filled with drinks and Glen was manning the grill.

"You rat bastards!" she said to Mark and Shelton, as they led Mark to a lawn chair so he could sit down. "How long have you two been planning this?"

"Since Michelle broke your face," Shelton said. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about your birthday, Celina!"

"I thought I did," she answered. Shelton shook his head.

"If you did, I wouldn't have been so surprised to hear about it from Mark." She laughed.

"You guys were cutting it close then," she replied as Nattie handed her a drink. She turned to her family; she hadn't seen them in about a year and a half. "Oh, my God, it's so good to see you!" she shouted, running into the open arms of her sister and her parents.

"We saw you on TV the other night...Jesus, Celina, you took a beating!" her father, William, said to her, hugging her tightly.

"It's just a broken nose," she replied. "Mark over there had hip surgery."

"Bunch of walking injuries," her mother, Colleen, teased. "Happy birthday, honey."

The flames roared from the grill as Glen put some burgers and hot dogs on the grill. "Whose brilliant idea was it to stick the pyro on the grill?" Celina called out, noticing the sick grin that crossed Glen's face as he started flipping burgers. Nattie laughed.

"We did," she admitted. "He said he was the most experienced with one." They all started laughing. Celina turned to Mark.

"Need a drink?"

"I need a bottle of Jack," he announced and everybody laughed. Lisa fixed him a drink in an instant and hurried over to Mark, taking a seat beside him. Shelton looked over at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"I think she's got it bad for the Deadman," Shelton murmured to her as Nattie handed him a drink.

"I don't doubt it at all," Celina replied. "Look at her - she's absolutely glowing."

"So's he...but not half as much as he glows around you," he told her. She laughed. "Close enough though." He took a sip.

"You going to introduce me to your boyfriend?"

Celina turned and saw her sister Anne standing behind her with her parents intow. Anne looked similar to Celina, only she had bleached her hair blonde and had brown eyes. She smiled. "Of course. Annie, Mom, Dad this is my boyfriend, Shelton. Shelton, this is my dad William, my mom Colleen and my sister Annie." They all exchanged pleasantries and shook hands.

"So how did you two meet?" Annie asked.

"Shelton's in on a Timeshare place with Mark. We met there."

"Timeshare? Mark?" Colleen asked.

"Mark does real estate outside of the ring, Mom. You don't think he doesn't do anything else?"

"Well, no, but it's still kind of a surprise."

"How is your nose, honey?" her father asked. She shrugged.

"It's a little painful...inconvenient. But otherwise, it's all right. When I get back in the ring, I'll get the little bitch." She quickly filled in her parents and her sister on Michelle McCool. They shook their heads in astonishment the entire time.

"You always did have a sixth sense when it came to Mark's girlfriends," Anne replied. "Remember Elaina?"

"Oh, God, you had to bring her up," Celina groaned, taking a drink. Shelton looked at her. "I'll tell you later, hon." He nodded.

"Burgers are ready! Who's up for one?" Glen called out. Everyone cheered, raising their cups to the chef. He smiled at Celina. She flashed him a smile back. This was a night that she never could have asked for. She had her family, her friends and Shelton there to celebrate with her. And most importantly, she and Mark were together, even if it wasn't particularly in one piece.


	55. Elaina

**Fifty-Five**

When everyone had filed off to their hotels and her parents and sister had left, Lisa and Shelton helped Mark back up the stairs. To say Mark and Celina were a little inebriated would be a severe understatement. Celina could barely walk straight, so Lisa stayed behind to give him a hand. They got him undressed to his boxers and put under the blankets. "Damn, you're hot," Mark slurred to Lisa. At least he thought it was Lisa. His eyes were already closed, and he was quickly drifting into the realm of unconsciousness. Shelton laughed.

"What would Celina say to that?"

"Not you, dumbass," Mark said, but was out like a light in an instant. Shelton looked over at Lisa.

"I think he likes you."

"Please, he's drunk," Lisa laughed, gathering up Mark's shed clothing and placing it on a chair. "He probably doesn't know what the hell he was saying. For all we know, he could be talking about you."

Shelton laughed. "Give me a break." They made their way out of the room. Celina was sobering up with a cup of coffee on the couch. "I think he likes you. Seriously. And you know what I think?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you're digging on the Deadman too."

Her eyes widened and she shushed him. "If Celina hears that I'm as good as dead."

"I doubt that," Shelton replied. "Talk to her when she's sober. She'll tell you to go for it. We both saw the way you two were tonight." She shook her head.

"If you want to get me killed, be my guest."

"Look, Celina knows you and likes you. I'm sure she'll give you the go-ahead. Just take the night to think about it." She nodded. Lisa was worried about upsetting Celina though.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Have a good night, Shelton." He nodded and she disappeared from the door. Shelton sighed. He made his way into the living room where Celina was sipping on coffee. He looked over at her.

"Ready for bed?" he asked. She chugged the last of her lukewarm coffee, grimacing, as she put the mug down on the table. She made her way over to Shelton and kissed him passionately. It was incredibly awkward because of the face mask, but he didn't care. He looped his arm around her waist and crushed her against him as he kissed her back. She pulled back and he smirked. "What was that for?"

"For being so amazing," she replied. He smiled and they made their way up the stairs and into the guest room. Shelton closed the door behind him.

"Thank God Mark's fucking toasted," Celina said, stripping off her shirt to reveal a black lace brassiere. "I could hear his voice yelling, 'Door open!' down the hallway." Shelton laughed as she went to her bag and gathered her pajamas. Shelton admired her body.

"So, who's this Elaina?" he asked as he made his way to his bag to get his pajama pants.

"Elaina was the worst fucking thing on the planet. She made Michelle McCool look like a fucking saint." She made her way to the bed and pulled the covers back, sliding under. Shelton joined her, curling up beside her. "I think he met her at a pool hall. And she was there with a date, so you know that she isn't exactly the most loyal woman out there.

"Anyway, she latched onto Mark, and the relationship lasted about six or seven months. And she was a bitch the whole time. Real high maintenance, but figured Mark should do everything. And with me around...well, it was another case of speculation and bullshit." Shelton nodded. Celina's face fell as she fell into the memory of the times.

"Mark broke up with her when he caught her cheating on him with a short order cook at the restaurant that had just gotten fired. He dumped her, and she started harassing him at work. She almost got him fired, and she almost got me fired numerous times. Mark was just starting out in the business at the time, and it was so stressful for him to drive hundreds of miles and to come back to work and to come back to be harassed by this bitch...it was awful.

"She hit the ultimate lowblow, and this is why my parents got iffy around Mark." She took a deep breath and burrowed her head into his chest. "She went to the police and told them Mark and I were having an intimate relationship. Mark just about got charged, my parents forbade me from seeing Mark, made me quit my job. Mark almost lost his job, too, and it just about killed his career before it even started. That was the longest time I had ever been away from Mark. We didn't see each other for two months, and we would always try and find secret ways to communicate. It was brutal. We almost got caught a few times, and my parents said some horrible things about Mark, as though looking in retrospect, he had eyes for me or some shit."

"So what happened?"

"Mercifully, her statements didn't add up. They managed to catch the conflicting statements, found Mark's and mine added up with each other's and they dismissed it with lack of evidence. My relationship with Mark was almost fucked there. I talked my mom and dad into having him over for dinner as a way to apologize to him for all the bullshit they said, and the fact that they doubted me. I was fifteen years old and I had to take a pregnancy test because they thought Mark and I were fucking each other during breaks and shit. It was all so stupid."

"How is Mark with your parents?"

"The stigma of it kind of faded over the years with him. He didn't really have anything negative to say about them. He understood. I mean, as a parent, you'd understand any parent who would want to protect their kids. But still, my parents and his parents got a little heated and the two of us were like Romeo and Juliet...well, without the sex and the tragedy. But for a while, it was like forbidden. The two of us had to fight to stay friends because of this woman. Mark had to go through all sorts of shit to get the accusations taken off of his record, and it was just unbelievable."

"Jesus, Celina." His arms squeezed her tighter against him. Suddenly, their friendship was in a whole new perspective. They had to fight for their friendship because of the age difference, and he had never thought for a second that anybody would have tried something like that. Celina had still been just a child, and to go through the humiliation of having to get a pregnancy test...he felt a bubble of rage boiling inside the pit of his stomach. What the fuck was wrong with people?

"Mark and I...it's him and I against the world, and anyone who comes between us...it means that you're against us...and whoever's against us gets dealt with accordingly."


	56. Mark and Celina

**Fifty-Six**

Celina woke up the following morning to find that Shelton wasn't in bed with her. Her face burrowed in confusion. She was almost certain that she had felt him beside her only minutes before. Peeling back the blankets, she stood to her feet and made her way to her duffel bag, pulling out a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top. She got herself dressed and brushed her hair, pulling it back in a high ponytail as she made her way down the hallway towards Mark's room. She decided to get him up and ready for breakfast.

She knocked on the door and she heard him groan on the other side of the door. She knocked again. "Fuck off!" his voice bellowed.

"Good morning to you too," she called back. "Wake the fuck up, it's time for breakfast!"

"Fuck off, Celina, I'm warning you..."

She opened the door. He sat up in bed. "Celina, what the fuck?" he snapped groggily. "Barging in here and shit? I could be naked!"

She rolled her eyes. "What...you figure I'll drop everything and jump your bones if I see you naked?"

"A lot of ladies love slaying the dragon," he told her with a wink. She laughed.

"What do they slay it with? Tweezers and a magnifying glass?" she retorted. His face dropped and she laughed, pulling the blankets off. "Come on, Deadman, move it. How are you feeling?"

"Sore...but not half as bad as I felt last night. Do you have the meds?"

"Downstairs. It says to take it with food, so I expect you to get your ass downstairs for breakfast." He groaned.

"Can't I just stay in bed?"

"Fuck no. No chance in hell am I going to have you ringing some fucking bell, driving me nuts all day. And in case you haven't noticed..." she motioned to her faceplate, "...I'm hurt to, so get the fuck up."

"And what if I don't?"

"Mark, am I going to need to get Glen and Shelton over here?"

"Fine...I'll move." He sat up slowly, sliding his long legs over the side of the bed. She sat down on the bed beside him. He draped a long arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "You're the greatest friend I could ever ask for, Celina," he told her. "Don't ever forget that. I love you very much."

She smiled. "I love you too, Mark," she answered, resting her head on her shoulder. "Do you know where Shelton went by any chance?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Um, no," he replied. "Why didn't you tell him about your birthday, Celina? Knowing him, the guy's probably off getting you a present."

"It just slipped my mind, I guess," she answered. "I just kind of, sort of assumed that he knew."'

"You're really happy with him, aren't you?" Mark asked. She smiled.

"I guess I am."

"What do you mean, I guess?"

She tried to think about what she meant, but realized there was nothing really to say. "I don't know. I guess sometimes I get a little negative about things. Shelton...well, Shelton's been fantastic. But with you and I... I guess I get worried that it's just going to fuck things up."

"I think he understands better than Michelle did," he told her.

"It just gets so frustrating sometimes," she confessed. "Like, I can't be your friend, I have to be fucking you too." She shook her head. "I guess telling Shelton about Elaina last night kind of made me think a little more."

He chuckled. "Elaina...fuck," he murmured with a shake of his head. "I don't seem to be too good picking women out, huh?"

"It's because you don't think with your brain," she answered bluntly. He laughed.

"True enough," he agreed. "Why is it women are so much more logical when it comes to men?"

"Because we put up with your shit," she answered. "We learn from our stupidity...well, for the most part." He laughed. She helped him to his feet. "I'm amazed my parents showed up last night." It wasn't a secret that things had been strained with the Coopers and the Calaways since the Elaina incident.

"Same here, actually. To be honest with you, I gave Glen the number and had him call them. I couldn't really handle doing that."

"Still a little salty," she observed.

"I just haven't heard an apology for them accusing me of being a rapist," he answered. "It's just insulting, that's all." She understood; the accusation had stood on Mark's record for a few years. He had to go through all sorts of hoops to get it exponged from his record. All because of that woman.

She slowly led Mark down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Thank you for inviting them over though, Mark. To be honest, I haven't spoken to them in a long time."

"How long?"

"About a year and a half. They had a blowup when they found out I started stripping. Mom kept asking me where I went wrong, what she could have done to do things differently and dad just straight up called me a slut."

"If it's any consolation, they called me a rapist."

"You know, after all these years, I really think that they think there's something up with us."

"I wouldn't doubt it," he told her. "I wouldn't be surprised if three quarters of the people out there think these things about us."

"Doesn't it ever bother you?"

"Of course it does," he told her. "Celina, I love you, and you have a very special place in my heart, but I can't carry what everyone's thinking about the two of us with me. It's just not healthy."

"You say this and yet you hate my parents."

"I don't hate your parents," he said. "I'd just rather sit through a Best of the Spirit Squad DVD than deal with them." She laughed. "God, I hope there's no such thing."

"Knock on wood there, Mark - you probably just jinxed us all." He laughed and he sat down at the kitchen table. "Was there anything you wanted to do today?"

"Nah. I don't think so. Maybe the three of us can go see a movie tonight," he told her. "Better than sitting in the house the entire time." She smiled.

"We'd stand out so much."

"Late show. It's a little more emptier than the other shows," he said. "Anyway, I was thinking we'd go see that new Will Smith one -- you know, the one where he's a superhero that sucks?"

She laughed. "It sounds like a plan, Mark. I have to admit, I'm so glad that you and Shelton get along so well."

"He's a good kid. Hell of an athlete. Frankly, I think he's the best all around athlete we have." He crumpled his face in distaste. "That blonde shit has to go though."

She laughed. "See?" she said as she went into the fridge and pulled out some eggs, bread and ham steaks.

"You're making me breakfast?" he asked, his tone excited. "Man, you're a wicked cook. I should get hurt more often."

"Fuck that," she replied. "You get hurt again, and I'm going to break my foot off in your ass. You left me with Michelle, and now look at me...I'm...I'm..._deformed_!" Mark laughed at the overdramatic tone that tinged her voice.

"Even deformed, you're still beautiful."

"Awww," she teased, opening the drawer under the oven for a frying pan. "Aren't you sweet?"

"That's what women tell me."

"Good God, is that all you think about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" They heard the door open and close. Celina and Mark exchanged looks with one another. Shelton was back.


	57. Celina's Reflections

**Fifty-Seven**

Celina sat alone in her bedroom that afternoon, staring down at the beautiful earrings Shelton had surprised her with for her birthday. She was deep in thought, her headphones in her ears. Something just wasn't feeling right, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She knew that she should be happy; she had a boyfriend who loved her, a best friend who worshipped her, and she had a career that was gaining her popularity with each passing day. But at the end of the day she still felt down. Reid was still on her mind, her nose was throbbing, and everything with Michelle McCool appeared to have no end in sight. She gathered it was the entire Michelle situation that had dragged her down so much.

Her parents bringing up Elaina had opened a floodgate of feelings for her. It had taken years for her to get the entire situation out of her mind, and she knew that Mark still hadn't completely gotten over it. Of course, he was the one who had to jump through all sorts of legal hoops. It could have fucked up his entire career, and she was at the middle of it all.

She sighed; it was funny how much of a tornado she could cause in Mark's life. It was just the way it always was. From the second they met, everyone was suspicious of Mark. How could an adult have interest in a kid without it being anything more than platonic? No matter how hard she had tried to convince everybody, nobody bought a damn thing she told them.

And then there was Michelle. She was pretty sure Mark had been happy with Michelle. And then she had selfishly called him up in the middle of the night, so angry she was calm, telling him to come get her. She knew at the time she hadn't thought about Mark's life, she had only been consumed by her desire to get away from Reid, but it seemed like she never put Mark's life ahead of hers. Never considered that maybe he had been busy. She relied a lot on Mark, and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing being with Shelton to rely on Mark so much. But he had always been her rock. She wondered if it was time to let go. Focus on a life with Shelton and maintain a distance from Mark that didn't make the accusations so open.

Amy Lee's cover of "Heartshaped Box" came on and she leaned her head against the headboard. She knew that as long as she was in the picture, she was only going to cause Mark grief in his relationships. There wasn't a lot of women around that would understand or tolerate her presence in his life; after all, even after their reunion after all those years apart, she was still just as much a dominating force as ever. And she wondered if that was going to make everyone happy in the long run. She wasn't sure if it was fair to Mark to put him through every woman's constant jealousy of her, and she was pretty sure that it would only be a matter of time before Shelton started going all Michelle McCool on her. There was only so much a man could understand before his mind went into overtime.

She thought about what would have happened if Mark hadn't have left for a big time career when she had reached eighteen. These kind of thoughts hadn't hit her in years. She hadn't been lying when she had talked about the initial infatuation, and it fading away. But Shelton's statement about how they glowed around each other made her wonder what was going on in her head. She was so confused.

She sighed. Her nose hurt. There seemed to be no relief. As it was she was waking up in the middle of the night struggling to breathe because she breathed through her nose.

Celina wondered what happened with her life. How she had gone from a straight-A high school student with a rebellious streak to a stripper to a WWE Diva.

"Heartshaped Box" faded into "Touche" by Godsmack. Whenever she was in a reflective mode, her mellow music always came out.

She wouldn't lie; over the years she had wondered what if about her and Mark. With everyone pushing them and their constant resistance of their accusations, she always wondered what if. And at the moment she knew that she couldn't have these thoughts. She was happy with Shelton; he was a great guy, and they were comfortable with one another. But she knew that there would never be a bond with Shelton like there was with Mark. And she couldn't help but feel negative wondering about how much longer Shelton could tolerate being secondary in her life. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried to balance Mark and Shelton, Mark always came first. And she knew that was the way it was always going to be. But there was at least twenty something years that had gotten them to this point.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts and she pulled her headset off. "Yeah?"

"We're getting ready to header," Mark called through the door. She could hear Shelton on the other side of the door as well. "You ready to go?"

She looked down at her MP3 player and took a deep breath. "I'll be down in a sec. Meet you out front." She could hear the guys moving away from the door. She took a deep breath. Why was she so confused all of a sudden?

She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind as she placed her MP3 player on the mattress and left the bedroom.


	58. Without a Trace

**Fifty-Eight**

Shelton woke up the next morning, groggy as hell. After the movie the night before, they had all gone to the bar and drank themselves silly, shot after shot, beer after beer until the two men were hardly standing. Celina hadn't been too impressed; it had been a total chore getting Mark back into the house by herself because Shelton could hardly walk straight. His head was pounding, and it hurt to open his eyes. He opted to lay in bed for a few minutes, nauseated, embracing the darkness and the silence. With a deep sigh, he rolled over to face Celina, only to find the bed empty. He cocked an eyebrow. That was strange. Usually she slept in. He shrugged it off. She must have gone downstairs. Slowly, he peeled back the covers and got out of bed. He needed to talk to Celina. She had seemed off last night, and he at least hoped that she would open up to him a little bit.

He opened the door and made his way down the stairs. Mark was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, sipping on a coffee. Shelton stared at him oddly. "What?" he snapped, sipping his coffee.

"You seen Celina around?" he asked. Mark's eyes narrowed.

"She's not upstairs with you?"

"No."

"Well, she's not down here with me," Mark replied. "Maybe she went shopping or something." Shelton nodded. "Let's give her a couple hours and from there, we'll try her cell. No need to smother the poor girl." Shelton nodded and poured himself a coffee. He turned to face Mark and leaned against the counter.

"Has she spoken to you about anything?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know...she seemed pretty off last night." Mark knew that something was up. Whenever she sat alone and listened to music, it meant that she was reflective. Mark knew that she had a lot to think about, but he knew that she'd be back.

"I know what you mean," Mark agreed. "Usually, the woman tells me everything, but I haven't heard anything from her about whatever's bothering her."

"Think it's Michelle?" he asked.

"It could be," Mark replied, sipping his coffee. "Who knows with Celina?" Shelton nodded. "Get your ass over here and let's play a game of war." Shelton nodded and poured himself another cup of coffee before taking his place in front of Mark as he began to divide the cards.

The minutes faded into hours and there was still no sign of Celina. Shelton and Mark were getting more and more worried. "I'll call her cell," Mark replied, struggling to stand slowly. He made his way to the phone and dialed her. His lips pursed into a narrow line as her voicemail clicked on. "Celina, it's Mark - are you all right? What's going on? Shelton and I are a little worried about you. Call me back as soon as you get the message." He hung up. "Fuck. Voicemail."

Shelton had a thought and he bolted from the table and ran upstairs. "Where the hell are you going?" he bellowed after him. Shelton rushed into the room and looked. His suspicions were confirmed.

Her stuff wasn't there.

"Mark," he called out, rushing back down the stairs. "She's gone!"

Mark scoffed. "What the fuck do you mean she's gone?"

"Her stuff isn't in the room, Mark, she's fucking gone!"

"Calm down, calm down...I'm sure there's a logical explanation." But Mark knew better. Even though it wasn't like Celina, he knew that if she had taken her stuff and taken off. "Fuck," Mark breathed. He tried to think about what to do. He trudged to the kitchen.

"What are you..."

"Shut up for a minute," Mark snapped. He felt a tension headache building. He wondered if there was anything he could have done to keep Celina from taking off like this. He dialed the number of the only guy who could probably give him a hand.

"Shane O'Mac."

"Shane, it's Mark."

"Hey, man, what's up? You're not backing out on next month are you?"

"Fuck no, man," Mark replied. "Look, I need you to do me a huge favor."

"Sure, man. What's up?"

"We're pretty sure Celina's taken off, and she's just fucking vanished without a trace." Shelton could hear the panic in his voice as he ran a hand over his head, taking a deep breath.

"She didn't leave a note?"

"No. Look, Shane, I know your dad wants her back eventually, so is there any chance that you can figure out where she is or what's happening? We're all really worried over here."

"Of course I can," Shane replied. "I'll call you back as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay."

"In the meantime, you two just keep calm. We'll track her down, and everything will be okay." Mark sighed. "I'll call you in about an hour."

"Okay. Thanks." Mark hung up the phone.

"You called Shane McMahon?" Shelton asked. Mark nodded.

"If she's taking time off work, then Vince would know what's going on," he replied. Shelton nodded. Mark stared out the window into the sprawling backyard. _Just what in the fuck is running through your mind, Celina?_ he thought, shaking his head. _What am I missing here?_


	59. Tension

**Fifty-Nine**

Shane had kept true to his word and had called Mark back within the hour. "Dad said she wanted some personal time, and that it would last about a week or two. Which is fine, because we were going to keep her off TV until her nose healed anyways."

"So where is she?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "She called Dad from a plane heading to South Carolina."

"South Carolina?"

"Something about getting a new apartment," Shane told him. Mark's head was spinning.

"A new apartment?" Shelton cocked an eyebrow.

"You're really out of the loop with Celina, aren't you?" Shane asked.

"It's a woman thing, for fuck's sakes," Mark replied petulantly. "Can you please figure out where she's at?"

"I'm definitely on it," Shane replied. "Dad said that he should be getting the new address tonight."

"So she is in South Carolina?"

"I think he said the apartment was in North Carolina."

"North Carolina..." A thought dawned on him. "Okay, thanks, Shane. Keep me posted."

"Will do. Keep your heads on straight. Don't go too crazy."

"No guarantees."

"And if you do get into contact with her, don't kill the poor woman."

"No guarantees." Shane laughed and hung up. Mark took a deep breath. He looked over at Shelton. He wasn't an idiot. Reid was in North Carolina. Shelton was staring at him. How was he going to tell him that there was a strong possibility that Celina was about to run back to her ex?

"What did Shane say about a new apartment?" Shelton asked.

"Apparently, Celina's moving into a new apartment...in North Carolina," he told him. Shelton shook his head.

"Is she breaking up with me?"

"I don't know what's going on Shelton," he assured him. "I'm just as in the dark here as you are." He shook his head. "Shane's going to see if he can dig up any more information for us." He thought for a second. "Shelton, was there anything going on between the two of you that might have caused her to take off like this?"

"If there was then I definitely missed it," Shelton replied. "I can't believe this is happening." He looked at Mark. "What about you two? Did something happen between you two that I need to know about?"

"I'm going to forget you even insinuated that," Mark growled, sipping on another cup of coffee. He had lost count of how many cups he had drank during the course of the day. He slammed the mug on the counter and stormed out of the house, taking the phone with him in case Shane called. Shelton stood in the kitchen in silence for what seemed like an eternity. He was surprised at himself for even making the accusation. And in that brief moment, he realized that the accusation was what Celina feared the most. He felt like a total dick.

He shook his head. Celina had run off from him, and was moving out of the house. And the odd thing was that he wasn't too fazed by it. Yeah, he loved Celina, but there was this nagging feeling at the pit of the stomach that told him that it probably wasn't meant to be. He had his doubts, even though he knew she'd make a great wife. But it felt like her heart wasn't with him anymore. She had a lot of thinking to do.

He went upstairs to grab is iPod. He wondered just what was running through her mind. He decided to go for a jog. He had pissed off Mark, and now Celina was missing, God knows where between the Carolinas. Slipping it into the pocket of his jeans he made his way down the stairs and out the door, slamming it behind him.

Mark sat outside. He heard the door slam. He took a deep breath. He was still trying to calm himself down from Shelton's statement. _Fucker_, Mark's mind raged as he sipped on some more coffee. _Accusing me of that shit_. He knew better than to go after another man's woman, regardless of who it was. He leaned his head back. His hip was still a little sore, but the stitching was healing nicely.

He thought about Celina, on a plane to wherever the hell she was going. Was she going back to Reid? Was there something she wasn't telling him.

_Get that fucking thought out of your head, Deadman_, he thought to himself. _If Reid was on her mind, she would have talked to me about it._

Or would she? He realized that things were definitely awry in that beautiful little head of hers.

The phone rang. He answered it quickly. "Shane?"

"Anxious to go back to work, aren't we?" His shoulders slumped.

"Hey, Sara. Sorry. We have a bit of a situation here."

"What kind of a situation? Anything I can do to help?"

"I don't know. Celina took off."

"What? When?"

"This morning sometime. Shelton woke up and she was gone."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No, but Shane said she told Vince that she was moving into a new place somewhere in North Carolina."

"She's with...Shelton, right?"

"Yeah."

"How's he?"

"Fantastic. He just accused me of trying something with Celina."

"And would he really be unjustified in his suspicions, Mark?" Sara asked. Mark felt himself growing defensive.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Sara?"

"Take some time and think about it," she retorted. She was used to his temper, and it didn't faze her in the slightest. He could hear her sigh on the other end. "Look, Mark, I did call for another reason that just nagging you."

"Oh, yeah," he teased. "What's that?"

"Gracie and Chasey want to come out for the weekend. Is that all right?"

"Of course it's all right," he replied. "I'm still moving around a little slow, but otherwise I'm feeling better than I have in a long time."

"That's good to hear, Mark. Keep me posted with Celina. It was so wonderful that you finally found her. I hope whatever's happening...you don't lose her." Mark sighed; the thought of her walking out of his life as a result of her taking off had never crossed his mind. But it frightened him.

"Me too." He hung up the phone and leaned his head back, staring out into the backyard in silence.


	60. A Heart to Heart With Shane O'Mac

**Sixty**

Two days after Celina's "disappearance", Shane McMahon stood on the doorstep of Celina's new apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina. He knew that he was risking his life being there; after all, once he had gotten the new address from his father, he had left for North Carolina to track her down. He hadn't called Mark or Shelton and told them where she was. He knew it was wrong, but he was pretty sure that what Celina needed was somebody different to talk to. Somebody whose name wasn't Mark Calaway or Shelton Benjamin, obviously. There was something seriously going on between those three, and Shane hoped that for everybody's sake he could at least try to get it figured out.

He rang the doorbell. He had a box of pizza and a bag in his hands. He could hear footsteps behind the impeccable red door. He could sense her staring at him through the peephole, and then the door unlocked and opened. Her gaze was befuddled, to put it mildly. "Shane?"

"Can I come in?"

"Um, sure," she replied, stepping to the side. He made his way into the kitchen and put the pizza down on the marble countertop.

"I, uh, brought you some pizza. I figured you probably didn't want to cook." He opened the bag and pulled out a beautiful windchime. "I also brought you a housewarming gift so you can annoy the hell out of the neighbors."

She laughed and took it from him, examining the stained glass that was different shades of blue. "Thank you," she replied. She made her way around the counter as Shane maneuvered around the boxes in the living room and sat down on the couch. There was a silence. Celina knew exactly why he was there on her couch. "You, uh, want a drink?"

"Sure, what do you have?" he asked.

"Pop, juice, milk, water."

"Pop would be good." She poured him a glass and brought the pizza box out to the living room, moving past the maze of boxes. She had stopped by Shelton's place and taken most of her stuff out when he wasn't home. She felt so sneaky doing such a thing, but she wanted to be alone.

Shane sensed her in her reverie. "You want to talk about it?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "I'm having a nervous breakdown. I'm fucking up my life," she replied softly, a bitter laugh escaping her. She had taken the noseplate off; her nose was seemingly healing straighter than it was. Shane had to admit, she was a beautiful girl. A confused girl, but a beautiful one.

"The guys are worried about you, you know," he told her. "Hell, Mark's convinced that you're up here, running back into the arms of your ex." Celina chuckled softly. He did the same and took a sip of his soda. "I'm not going to judge you, Celina. You're a big girl and you can take care of yourself, regardless of how fucked up your situations seem to get. And I know that to hang with Mark you have to be a strong little spitfire. But what's going on with you? I'm sensing that there's something that's a bit amiss with you."

She fell silent, trying to think about what was going on with her life. She wondered if Shane was the one to be telling this to, but she realized that she needed to talk to somebody. To get some kind of firsthand perspective on her situation. And from what she had heard around the locker room, Shane McMahon was definitely the kind of person who would try to help out. "Shane, do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder what the fuck happened with your life?" He blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of her question. He chuckled.

"Sometimes," he answered, "but it's usually not half as pessimistic as you make it sound."

She smirked, finding herself thinking about the night she reunited with Mark. Driving along the slick country roads in the burgandy rental car. "You know, when I called Mark that night...I didn't see my life taking this kind of a turn, Shane. I didn't..." she shook her head.

"You know, I feel like all I do for Mark is fuck things up. Like, look how things wound up with Michelle. And not only did it make Mark and I look bad, it made the company look bad. She fakes a pregnancy, posts flyers from my dancing days around the arena on a magnified scale and then she breaks my nose...and I'm sorry, but I know you don't buy that it's an accident. You know, and it's like, at the end of the day, when I sit down to think about it, and I wonder why all this misfortune and bullshit befalls Mark, I realize that at the end of the day, the only one to blame is the face I see when I look in the mirror." Shane was silent, trying to think of any kind of words that would alleviate the torment that was going on in her mind.

"I don't believe it was an accident either," he conceded, "but Celina, you have to realize that Mark is a big man too. And you wouldn't be so front and center if he didn't want it that way. Michelle...well, she's what happens when the saying 'the most beautiful people do the ugliest things' is true. But, don't try and put the burden of Mark's personal life on you. There was obviously a lot of problems between him and Michelle before you came calling for help." She smiled softly; for an odd reason, his words provided her with some odd sense of comfort.

He put a reassuring hand on her knee. "Look, Celina, I know you don't have to say anything to me, and I promise you that I won't go running back to Mark and Shelton about this. Anything you want to say to me is between me and you, okay?" She nodded. "Why did you run?"

She tried to think of a reason. She couldn't really come up with anything. "I'm not even sure, Shane. I just...honestly? I needed to get away from them. I just needed to be by myself...to sort myself out and get my thoughts in order."

"What did they do?"

"I don't know if it's anything that they've done on purpose or anything, it's just...I'm so confused, Shane...and I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. I mean, what if I make the wrong decision in the end and I just fuck everything up?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shane said to her, taking a bite of pizza, followed by another sip of soda. He slid the box to her and she took a piece, staring at it blankly. "I think you're starting to lose me here, Celina. Now, backtrack a little bit. What are you confused about, and what does it have to do with Mark and Shelton?"

She stared at the pizza slice until her vision blurred out and Shane was hardly in her sight range anymore. "Shane," she murmured, her tone dejected and defeated. "I think I'm in love with Mark."


	61. Go To Him

**Sixty-One**

Shelton flew back to his home in South Carolina the day he insulted Mark. He didn't feel right staying at the Deadman's place when the man wanted him dead. He had packed up his stuff and told Mark that he was going home. Mark had only grunted; he had been on the phone with Shane, with Shane giving him a location, but making Mark swear not to go there for the time being. Shelton was pretty sure he knew why.

When he returned to his house, he wasn't surprised to find that most of Celina's stuff was gone. If she was in North Carolina, he could kind of see the logic behind stopping at his place to grab some stuff on the way. Or having somebody to do it for her.

He couldn't believe this was happening. But at the same time, he had this odd sense that it was only a matter of time before things fell apart between the two of them.

Shelton wasn't an idiot. He saw the way the two of them looked at each other. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, there was something there between the two of them. And in retrospect, he kind of knew it before Celina had kissed him. Maybe he should have just ignored that she had done that. Then everything wouldn't have been so complicated. There was something there with her and Mark, even though they had spent over twenty years running from it.

His doorbell rang and he made his way down towards the door. Charlie Haas was coming over to play some video games. He peered through the peephole and swung the door open.

Celina stood before him, looking impeccable as usual, dressed in a pair of two toned blue jeans and a black flowing tank top, giant sunglasses on her face. They stood in silence. Finally, she broke the silence. "You mad?"

Shelton couldn't help it, a wide smile crossed his face. "Come in. You and I need to talk anyways." She nodded; that was so true. Shane had put a lot in perspective for her. He closed the door behind her as she walked into the house. The place seemed so unfamiliar to her now.

"You really scared the hell out of Mark and I," he told her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked over at him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I...I guess I don't even really have a good, comprehendible reason as to why I ran off like that." She took off her sunglasses. The bruising in her eyes were almost gone. She leaned against the counter. "I don't even know what to say to you, Shelton."

"There isn't a whole lot you can say," he said. "Mark's been beside himself with grief. We were so close to calling the police, Celina. We thought something had happened to you." She nodded; she knew she should have felt guilty about causing them so much stress, but she wasn't feeling much of anything at the moment, let alone guilt. He sensed that.

"Celina, what are we doing?"

She looked up at him, those lucid blue eyes staring almost right through him. "What do you mean?"

"You and me. We both know why you ran off, Celina." She sucked in a breath.

"Shelton, I..." He held up a hand, motioning for her to stop.

"Take it easy; I'm not half as upset as you think I am," he told her. "We both know how you feel about Mark. And if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure that's the reason you ran off." She didn't answer and he knew it was the truth. "Don't worry about me, Celina," he assured her, kissing her forehead. The tears were starting to stream down her face. He brushed his hand against her face to wipe away the tears. "I'm fine. You know, anybody with two eyes can see the way you two are about each other, and it would be selfish and stupid for me to stand in the way of that, all right?" He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to him. "We're still the best of friends, Celina, and I value that. And I couldn't keep you with me if I tried. We both know that it's not going to work out." He sighed. "Don't cry, honey." He hugged her close. "I don't hate you. But you and Mark gotta stop running from this shit. Go to him. Talk to him. Get this sorted out, all right?" He pulled her back and she nodded. "You're still welcome here anytime."

"Thanks, Shelton," she sniffled. "I appreciate it." She put her sunglasses back on over her eyes and made her way out as Charlie Haas made his way into the house. She offered a small greeting and disappeared to her car. Charlie looked over at Shelton, making his way over.

"What did you do to that woman, Shelton? She looks devastated."

Shelton shrugged. "The right thing."


	62. Safe and Sound

**Sixty-Two**

Mark was beside himself with worry over Celina. He was fighting the urge to go to her in North Carolina and try to help her figure out whatever was going through her head. He was sitting in his living room, watching an old boxing match on the sports channel, sipping on a bottle of beer. But his mind was on Celina. Was she ever coming back? He wondered what he had done to her. He felt awful for hurting her. He just wished he could figure out whatever it was the he had done to make her leave.

Shelton's accusation pissed him off. Who the hell did the guy think he was, standing in his house, drinking his coffee, questioning his intentions with Celina? He shook his head. Shelton knew he had fucked up; it was why he had left the house so quickly after his jog. He had probably booked the flight information on his jog through his cell phone because he was gone quick. It had surprised Mark, but he was relieved at the same time that Shelton had just left.

He had been thinking a lot about Celina since she had taken off from his home. What was going on through that sweet little head of hers? He shook his head. He was so confused. There was so many thoughts running through his head at the moment about Celina, and he wasn't sure how healthy the thoughts were at all. After all, she was like his sister. He realized that she was one of a kind, however; he longed to find a woman who had half a modicum of understanding as he and Celina had with one another.

Shane said she was confused, that there was something going on, but he refused to elaborate. He had only said that she was trying to sort it out and when she had herself in perspective, he was confident that she would make her return, better than ever.

He sipped his beer. He never realized how much he had missed Celina. He just wished that there was something that he could do, something he could say to make her come back and explain to him why she up and left like a thief in the night. He wished she was close by. He missed her.

The doorbell rang. He sighed. Glen was supposed to be over for a beer. Groaning, he made his way to his feet and walked towards the door. He unlatched the lock and swung the door open to see Celina standing in front of him.

He blinked. "Celina?"

"You mad?"

His face contorted into a smile and he pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you ever, ever fucking do something like that again," he told her. "You ever run off like that again, I'll fucking kill you." He squished her tighter against him. They were silent for what seemed like an eternity, holding each other tightly in the doorway of Mark's house. He wished he could stay in the moment forever; she felt so snug in his arms.

Finally, he realized he had to break the silence. "You and I are going to need to have a long talk, Celina," he told her. He felt her head nod against him.

"I know, Mark." He rested his head on top of hers. He wanted to invite her in, to remove his arms from around her waist, but he was so happy that she was all right, safe.

"Glen's coming over in a bit, so you and I -- we'll be talking tonight, all right?" She looked up and nodded. "Get in here. I'll make you something to eat, all right?"

She nodded. As they went to pull away, they heard Glen's car pulling up through the gates and into the driveway. Celina's eyes turned to face Glen, a small smile spreading across her features.

Glen got out of the car and smiled. "See, Mark? I told you she'd come back!" Glen called out. He extended his arms and Celina ran into them, giving Glen a big hug. "Don't do that without calling, sweetheart. You scared the bejesus out of Mark and Shelton." He pulled back. "Have you seen Shelton?" he asked softly, his gaze looking past her, to Mark standing on the porch.

She nodded softly. "And?"

"It's over," she whispered. She didn't want to tell Mark just yet. Glen sensed it from her tone and nodded. He looked over at Mark.

"You breathing again?"

"Barely. Little brat here scared the shit out of me." He made his way down the front steps and towards Glen and Celina. He stood beside Celina and put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm just glad she's safe. Anyway, there's some beer in the fridge. Come on in. You want to stay for dinner?"

"I'll throw something on the grill," Celina offered. Mark smiled.

"You're going to rest up from your flight, Celina," Mark told her sternly, squeezing her shoulder. "You can visit with Glen and I'll make dinner. Go on, go in." She and Glen exchanged glances, but the two of them walked side by side in the house with Mark close behind.


	63. Celina Drops the Bomb

**Sixty-Three**

Mark threw a baggy T-shirt at Celina. "This should work," he told her. She nodded. She had come with her pajama pants, only to realize she had forgotten her tank top. She had been in such a hurry to get to Mark in Texas that she hadn't really paid attention to anything that she had packed.

"Thanks," she answered sheepishly, gathering her pajamas and disappearing into the bathroom. To say things were awkward between Mark and Celina at the moment would have been a total understatement. After Glen had left, the two of them sat in front of the television in Mark's living room in dead silence. Mark was still trying to think of something to say to her. Words were escaping him every time he opened his mouth, and he'd just stand there, mouth open in silence, struggling for something to say to her for running away from him.

He settled down in his bed. His hip was still a little tender, and he was hoping that just laying down would alleviate it somehow. The stitching would be removed soon, but they were starting to become itchy and irritated. To say the after effects of surgery made him a miserable bastard would be a slight understatement. And normally, he would have been a grade-A prick. But the fact that Celina was there, safe and sound, in his range of vision, made everything all the more better. She was all right, and at the end of the day, that was all that was important.

The bathroom door opened and Celina emerged back into his sight. He flashed her a comforting smile. She looked so nervous. She knew she fucked up, and she had probably fucked up bad. He pulled back the covers. "Come over here; you and I are gonna have our little chat."

She made her way over and sat down on the bed. They weren't even touching one another. It was just awkwardness. He shut off the TV and encased them in silence. "Why'd you run?"

Celina was silent, trying to think of an answer. He nudged her and she realized he was impatiently waiting for an answer. She knew at that moment she was the recipient of the Deadman's Stare.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I'm so confused right now, Mark."

"Confused about what? What am I missing here? You're off, listening to music one night and the next morning you're gone. Do you have any idea how much fucking panic Shelton and I went through trying to figure out where you were?" She hung her head. Mark knew she felt bad. But there was something going on with her. "Celina, look at me." His tone was a bit sharper than he intended, but it got the point across and she looked at him. "I want you to be honest here, all right?" She nodded. "Did I do something to make you run off? Did I say something stupid?" She shook her head.

"No. Nothing like that."

"What about Shelton?"

"No."

"Then what? What am I missing here? What are we all missing here?" he asked. "What's going on with Shelton? Why were you so secretive with Glen and with Shane? Come on, Celina, we've known each other for a long time. Now is not the time to start bullshitting me."

She nodded. He was right. "What's up with you and Shelton?"

"We're over," she answered softly. Mark cocked an eyebrow. That definitely surprised him.

"Did you end it with him before you left here?"

She shook her head. "We broke up last night before I came out here."

Mark took a deep breath. "Celina, what's going on in that head of yours? You may be confused, but we're completely fucked over trying to even comprehend what's going on. We were so close to calling the police and reporting you missing. We were just lucky Shane got on it."

"Mark, do you ever stop to think that when things go wrong in your life, I'm usually two steps behind you?" Celina shook her head. "Look at what's happened to the two of us since I've come thundering back into your life."

Mark shook his head. "Celina, my curse," he teased. He shook his head. He had to admit, at the moment he was afraid to touch her, although he fought every urge to pull her close and tell her everything was fine. He was scared to touch her because he knew that she was definitely feeling something different about him...and he was feeling something different about her. He would pull her close and reassure her everything would be okay and there would be fireworks going off and everything would feel right, and all the other cheesy shit that was in those romance novels Michelle read would happen. He knew that he was in love with Celina. And he was pretty sure she felt the same way. But he was definitely afraid of what was going to happen to their friendship if things went south. He had more to think about than jumping into a relationship with his best friend.

"Why'd you end it with Shelton?"

"I guess in my heart I realized it wasn't going to work out," she confessed. "As great of a guy as he is, I know in the end I'm not going to be as happy with him as I could be, and that's only going to make him miserable, and it's not fair of me to do that to Shelton."

"That boy could use an asskicking."

"Oh?"

"After you took off he more or less accused me of pulling something to make you run off." Celina was surprised; Shelton had seemed so understanding about her and Mark. She took a deep breath; she had been idealistic to even think for a second that Shelton Benjamin would be understanding of her and Mark's relationship forever. It was only a matter of time before the jealousy reared its ugly head and things would spiral downhill and very, very quickly. She shook her head. Mark could sense her tensing up beside him. She looked nervous and his nerves were twanging like the strings of a banjo. She shook her head. She knew that she just had to say what she needed to say and she couldn't bail out on that now. She had traveled so far to tell him everything.

"And that's what I'm afraid of, Mark. We've put each other above everyone else and then we look surprised when our relationships fail. We expect them to understand that nothing's going on between the two of us when we're at the top of the priority list, and it's like...where are we going to find people who are that understanding to the idea that they're always going to be in second place?

"It's just..." she continued, "It's like wherever I am, I just bring down a hailstorm of bullshit. And I ruin your relationships, and I ruin mine, and I just can't let myself be happy because no matter what happens, I realize the only person I'm ever going to be happy with is you."


	64. This Kiss

**Sixty-Four**

Time seemed to standstill in the bedroom as the sound faded into a deafening silence. Mark was surprised. He couldn't say that he didn't see it coming, but her straightforward admission had still surprised him. His prolonged silence only seemed to panic Celina, who watched him with an acute fascination as the sound around him slowly came back. He could hear the baited breathing, sense the awkwardness and the sexual tension resonating between the two of them.

"What are we going to do about this, Celina?" he asked. "Our friendship...what happens if nothing works out?" She bit her lower lip. It was the question that had kept her wanting to keep these feelings a secret. But she knew Shane was right; eventually everyone was involved and it was going to hurt her, and Shelton and Mark. She took a deep breath.

"I guess we all have to take chances sometimes, don't we, Mark?" she said to him. He looked over at her, surprised by the calm that took over her voice. He could see she was exhausted from the travel and from the entire weight of the situation. God, she was a beautiful woman. She had come a long way from the teenager he had met so many years ago.

He cupped her face in his hands, surprised to see her receptive to his touch. They gazed into each other's eyes. There was definitely something between them. Celina couldn't help but find herself wondering just why they had been running for so many years. Now everything had seemed to just stop and there was only this moment, her and Mark. The way it should be.

He looked at her. His Celina. He wondered just how on earth he had managed to run so long from her. She understood him better than the people around him. "You're so beautiful, Celina," he told her, his voice almost a husky whisper. He shook his head. "Are we doing the right thing?"

She put a finger to his lips. "Don't think about it. Just go with it," she replied, pushing her lips against his in a long, soft kiss. She could feel Mark's body jolt with her sudden movement and instinctively she wrapped a hand around his head, gripping him in place, although she knew that with his hip, he wouldn't be moving too far.

Mark's mind was racing. What was he doing? This was Celina! _This is like your little sister, Mark - what he fuck? _His mind screamed. But the kiss felt right. It was something intangible, something that he knew he was feeling, and knew she was feeling. But his brain kept shouting at him that this was the woman he watched grow up. The beautiful woman with the piercing blue eyes. He always told her that she was going to grow into a beautiful little heartbreaker. And now, here they were, sitting in Mark's room, their lips locked in a fiery kiss. As if the one kiss could make up for twenty years of denial, running, lost connections and crisis after crisis.

His hand brushed against her shoulder and he felt her jolt against him as she pulled back. "That felt kind of weird," she confessed, hanging her head and chuckling softly. He pulled her into his arms.

"I'm with you there, Celina," he laughed, resting his head on top of hers. They fell into silence. "So where do we go from here, Celina?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "Since everyone thinks we're fucking anyway, what's the harm?" Mark laughed, placing a kiss on top of her forehead.

"You're too much, Celina," he murmured. His mind was still in the middle of a debate, whether or not risking a friendship like his and Celina's was worth it. He settled down in the bed and pulled her up against him.

"You're pretty reluctant about this, aren't you?"

He stared at her, her eyes gazing up to meet his. They were mesmerizing. It was the one thing he had noticed about her when they had first met. How blue her eyes were. They stood out, made her noticeable when he was amongst a sea of people who he couldn't remember.

Celina was quickly falling asleep, the mixture of stress and jetlag getting to her, as her breathing slowed and her eyes closed. She was resting on Mark's stomach. The feel of her delicate fingertips on his stomach reminded him of what he was up against with Celina. She was a spitfire, a fighter, but she was also a vulnerable woman. Delicate. And if anything happened and it soured between the two of them, things were going to suffer. And he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to live with that.


	65. Awkward Moments

_**A/N: Sinfully Sined, Souless 666, Takersgurl35, Jeff Hardy FAN 31, Jeff's NC Baby Girl, XinnLajgin...thank you all so much for your fantastic reviews and being loyal readers. It means a lot. From here on in, the rides' gonna get a lil' bumpy, so happy readings! (Jennie)**_

**Sixty-Five**

Celina rolled over in the morning to see Mark wasn't in bed with her. She took a deep breath. Her stomach was already in knots just thinking about the fact that she had kissed him the night before. It had felt amazing; however, she would have been lying to say that the kiss wasn't awkward in the slightest. There was definitely no going back from this now.

Peeling back the blankets, she got out of bed and slowly made her way down the stairs. Her mind was racing. Mark had seemed so reluctant and hesitant the night before. And even though it was awkward, she couldn't help but feel like it was the first right thing she had felt in a long time.

She saw Mark's silhouette outside and she knew better than to go and interrupt him. It was what he did when he needed time to reflect. Just like her with her music. She shook her head and poured herself a cup of coffee, leaning against the counter and taking a sip. She was still exhausted from the two days of travel and the emotional context regarding it all.

_Boy, Celina, you sure fucked everything up,_ her mind told her bitterly. She sighed, staring out at the window, at the back of Mark's head. His long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She shook her head; did he hate her now? She had definitely crossed the line last night, and she couldn't imagine he was too happy with her.

She saw him stand and she quickly snapped her eyes to the black liquid in the mug in front of her. The back door opened and Mark trudged into the kitchen, dressed in his drawstring pajama pants and a black muscle shirt. There was nothing but awkward tension in the house. She could barely look him in the eyes.

"About last night..." Mark's voice cut in. Celina's head snapped up.

"I crossed the line, Mark. I'm really sorry..."

"Don't be," he assured her, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I guess I should have seen something like this happening a long time ago." He laughed. "Funny how we denied everything for so many years, and there was something there." She nodded numbly.

"Where do we go from here, Mark?" she asked. "I have this strong feeling that we've hit the point of no return." Mark nodded; she was definitely right about that.

"Let's just go with the flow here," he told her. "Let's not rush it." She nodded. He took a deep breath and took a sip of coffee. "So, Shelton was fine with everything?"

"I doubt it," Celina answered. "I think he just realized that it was a losing battle."

"When it comes to the two of us, I guess no one can compete, huh?" he murmured, sipping on his coffee a little more.

"This is really awkward for you, huh?"

"Just a little," he answered with a smirk. "I guess after all these years of being friends, it's a little strange."

"If it's any consolation, it's a little bit strange for me too," she confessed. "I just...I don't think we can keep running around this anymore." She shook her head. "We're both adults, we can both deal with everything that could come of this." He nodded. "We'll just take it slow and let this awkward shit pass, okay?"

He stared at her. After all the years they had wondered what if, it was finally happening. Mark could barely believe it. He nodded. "We'll just kind of go with the flow," he answered. He leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the lips. He knew he was going to have to try and get used to that.

"How's your hip?" she asked.

"A little sore," he answered, "but it's getting better. I should be back in the ring pretty soon. How's your face?"

"Sore."

"It's killing me," he murmured. She hit him in the arm. "What? Oh, come on - you walked into that!"

"Fuck off," she laughed. She rested her head against his arm. The man was too goddamn tall. She shook her head and they fell silent. "Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that no matter what happens between the two of us that we'll always be like this. That nothing's going to change."

"I can't promise that," he said with a sigh, sipping his coffee. "The only thing I can promise is that I'll try." She nodded; it seemed to be good enough for her as they stood in silence in his kitchen, sipping their coffee and staring at nothing in particular.


	66. Alliances Made, Kayfabe Broken

**Sixty-Six**

Mark and Celina were curled up on the couch a week later watching SmackDown. Celina's eyes weren't bruised anymore and Mark's hip was just about healed, and he was cleared to come back and compete in a couple weeks. Glen was beside himself with joy and Lisa was ecstatic to hear about Celina and Mark, and Glen was just happy to have his team back.

The awkwardness was starting to fade, but there were still remnants there. They were just taking things slowly. Lisa had ragged on Celina; she knew that she would be getting the "nothing going on, eh?" teases for the rest of the year. She'd never live it down. But Lisa was happy for her.

The guys knew better than to fuck with Mark when it came to his personal life. So when he said that he and Celina were testing the waters, the guys kept their teasing restricted to whenever Mark was out of earshot, and not able to kick their asses. But Mark knew the teasing was there. Hell, if it were anyone else in the situation, he'd probably be teasing the guys with the rest of them.

A bowl of popcorn sat on Mark's lap and they ate in silence, watching the show. It was the main event, Hawkins and Ryder against Miz and Morrison for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Before the match, Vickie Guerrero and Edge had explained the importance on bringing back the Tag team titles to SmackDown.

The match was going along smoothly, with Mark pointing out flaws and commending the athleticism. They were watching as Shelton Benjamin and Chuck Palumbo stormed the ring and cleaned house. Celina looked up at Mark. "What the fuck?" Celina asked.

"What the fuck is running through Vince's head?" Mark murmured. She shook her head.

"I don't think Vince is behind this," Celina replied. "Why would he fuck up a main event?" The answer would come in a split second.

_"You're not enough for me..."_

"Scumsucking slut," Celina growled as she saw Michelle on the television screen, making her way down to the ring in a little black miniskirt and black halter top, her hair combed straight around her face. The fans were befuddled - as were Mark and Celina - as Michelle made her way into the ring. Mark and Celina exchanged puzzled glances as the four men were unceremoniously ejected from the ring. Shelton got Michelle a microphone. Celina cocked an eyebrow. Just what in the hell was going on?

"Mark, Celina - see what we just did?" Mark jolted at the mention of his first name. Nobody had called him that inside the ring since everything with Traci in 2002. He knew at the moment kayfabe was being broken, and when they got back, things were going to be come personal. "That's only a small fraction. My boys and I got big plans for the three of you. You were right, Celina -- this isn't over by a longshot. We're just getting started. And when you two return to SmackDown, Shelton, Chuck and I are going to put you two on the shelf..._permanently._" She threw down her microphone and held up the arms of Shelton and Chuck.

"Well, we're fucked now, aren't we?" Celina murmured sarcastically. Mark chuckled.

"What a psycho bitch," he murmured. "What in the hell was I thinking with her?"

"I don't know...but I'm thankful it didn't take too terribly long for the beer goggles to wear off." They shook their heads. The phone rang. Mark picked it up.

"Yeah?"

"I'm assuming you saw the show," Vince replied.

"Why'd you let that hit the air?" Mark asked. But he knew it was a stupid question. Vince saw dollar signs and ratings in this entire situation. He was going to exploit it. It wasn't that Mark had issue with it; it was just business. "What are we going to do here, Vince? She's breaking storyline and character lines here."

"I don't know," Vince replied. "You'll have to think about that yourself. I'm going to advise both you and Celina to watch your backs though. I've already talked to Glen. They're not out to create a new storyline -- they all really have a problem with you three."

Mark nodded. "This is why I always said don't get involved with Divas," Vince admonished him. Mark didn't really have anything to say to that. "You wind up with a crazy bitch like Michelle." The two men started laughing.

"I'll figure something out," Mark replied. "I'll talk to you soon, Vince."

"See you back here in a few weeks. Say hello to Celina for me."

"I will." With that, he hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" she asked. He stared at her.

"Whatever happens from hereon in is fair game. Vince is going to run with it like it's another personal storyline." Celina sighed.

"Fuck...just when I thought I got rid of the fucking bitch." Mark pulled her closer to him and she rested her head against his shoulder in comfort. "I'm really just an earthquake aren't I?" she asked.

"More like a tornado," he quipped. She hit him on the stomach and he laughed. "Take it easy. There isn't a whole hell of a lot that Michelle can do without getting canned, fined or arrested. But when you're in the ring with her again, Celina, watch it. I know she'll take liberties with you...try and fuck up that beautiful little face of yours. I know you can take care of yourself, but we're all in a pretty decent amount of trouble here if they start taking liberties with us." She nodded, keeping her head rested on him as she absently munched on popcorn. She made a mental note to call Vince in the morning about that hardcore match she wanted against Michelle McCool.


	67. Awake at Dawn

**Sixty-Seven**

Mark woke up the following morning and was a little bit surprised to find that Celina wasn't beside him. She was the type who loved to get as much sleep as she could and the idea that she wasn't there surprised him. In all the years that he had known her, waking up in the single digit hours just about killed her every single time. He checked the clock on the nightstand; it was quarter after six. He groaned; why the hell was he awake even? Hell, even after all the years he had given to the sport, waking up at dawn was something he still struggled to get used to.

He could hear thumping downstairs and he smirked. He knew she was practicing in the ring he had put in the house a few years before. He was a little bit surprised that she was up so early to try and work on her in-ring skills. He knew that when he would take his naps or whatever during the day, she would go off on her own and work on different things, just trying to hone her skills in her absence. It impressed him, and he was sure that her work ethic would even impress Vince if he was here to see what she'd been doing. Peeling the covers back, he decided to go check up on her. He was pretty sure that whatever she was doing she was doing to prepare for Michelle. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that seeing Michelle and Shelton on TV the night before, calling them out had pissed her off something awful. Even in her sleep last night, she had looked tense, her lips pursed in a narrow line, her face dark.

Mark supposed he should take Chuck Palumbo seriously. But the thought made him smirk; how was he going to take a man seriously when he was once a part of Billy and Chuck? The thought was almost laughable to Mark. But he knew that Shelton really had an axe to grind with him. He had swooped in and taken Celina out from under him. Mark hadn't meant to; after all, it wasn't as though he had an affair with Celina or anything. This entire situation was Celina's choice. He was just merely going along with what she wanted. But he did feel bad for Shelton. He knew Michelle was going to play up on whatever pain he was feeling and that was where the threat was going to come in. Chuck was the big bad enforcer and Shelton was the lunatic who would be willing to try anything for that one modicum of revenge. And since it was with Mark, he was fully aware that by getting a huge win over the Deadman, his career would be more or less clenched. He'd be on the border of main event status. Mark shook his head; it was the worst part about being a legend; every rookie was looking to make a name for themselves at his expense.

He made his way slowly down the stairs, the thumping of the canvas getting louder, clearer, as he made his way towards the room. His hip was feeling great; the stitching would be out in the next two days and he'd be just as good as new to come back to the ring and make Michelle pay for all her dramatic bullshit.

He peered into the room to see her running the ropes and working on bouncing around the ring. "What on Earth are you doing?"

"I called Vince this morning," she replied, making her way to her feet. He stood on the apron and she gave him a kiss good morning. "It's going to be Michelle and I at SummerSlam in a hardcore match." Mark cocked an eyebrow.

"You had the idea last night, didn't you?"

"I've had the idea for a while," she confessed. "Now would you get off the apron and let me do my thing? You're kinda cramping my space."

"Fuck right off," he retorted. "And would you quit tossing your sorry ass alone by yourself? You're going to injure yourself and be out for longer, and you and I both don't want that. If you want to fucking fight so bad, I'll fucking call up Shawn and get him over here."

"Shawn?" Her mind went blank.

"Michaels," he replied, as though she was an idiot. She rolled her eyes. "Look, he's just in San Antonio. I'll give him a shout and see if he can get out here and give you a hand, okay? There's no sense throwing yourself into nothing and fucking up in the process." She nodded. "Now get your ass in the kitchen and get yourself a cup of coffee. Wake up a bit." She nodded and slid out of the ring.

"Drill sargeant."

"Beautiful."

"Oh, fuck right off," she murmured, tightening her ponytail as she disappeared out of the room. Mark smiled and went over to the phone at the edge of the room and called Shawn Michaels. If she was going to have a hardcore match against Michelle, he was going to see to it that she learned from the best. That way when SummerSlam came around, his ex wouldn't know what the fuck hit her.


	68. The Arrival of the Showstopper

**Sixty-Eight**

Shawn arrived, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black muscle shirt, his light hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He had his hands in his pockets as he waited for somebody to come to the door.

The front door opened and he finally came face to face for the first time with Celina, who was dressed in a pair of black drawstring pants and a white spaghetti strap top that showed off her midriff. Her brown hair was back in a ponytail and the first thing that struck Shawn was how blue her eyes were.

"Shawn?"

"That's me. You must be Celina," he said, extending his hand. He shook it. "Where's Mark?"

"His hip is still a little sore...and itchy from the stitches, so he's just sitting down in the ring area. Come on in." She moved to the side and he walked into the house. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine," he answered. "How about you? It looks like there's quite a bit of a situation happening right now for you and Mark."

She nodded. "I guess we both deserve it," she replied, her tone weary. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't worry about it," he told her, sliding his shoe off. "Things like this are bound to happen when you mix business with pleasure." She nodded. "I've learned that the hard way over the years."

They entered the ring room, where Mark was sitting on a chair, sipping on a coffee. "Hey, Shawn," Mark grumbled.

"Mark - what's up?"

"Celina and Michelle are having a hardcore match at _SummerSlam_ and we need to get her some new moves in her arsenal. Some submissions, maybe some brawling. I'd help out, Shawn, but my hip's still healing up. I get the stitches out tomorrow."

Shawn nodded. "It's not a problem," he answered, climbing into the ring like only the Showstopper could. "Come on in here, Celina. We'll get this mapped out."

"She's going to turn it into a shoot," Celina replied. "That's how I got my nose broken."

Shawn nodded. "I'll show you how to protect yourself, okay? Don't even worry about that.

"It's a valid concern, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," he replied. "We all know that it's a shoot, but Vince can't fire her on suspicion. The only thing he'll think is that you're just making rookie mistakes and paying for it." They began to circle the ring and Shawn began to show her some submission moves, bending and contorting her until she cried out and attempted to tap out. Mark was impressed; Celina was staying focused, listening to all of Shawn's advice and Shawn would release her only to have her do the moves to him.

"No, no, Celina," Shawn replied, "Try it like this." He moved her arm and placed it further up his arm. She nodded.

"It's better training with you, Shawn," Celina confessed. "Mark's a douche when it comes to training."

"Fuck off!" Mark grumbled, sipping on his coffee.

"You mean as opposed to outside the ring?" Shawn teased. Celina flashed him a smile. She liked him already.

"Don't encourage the little brat, Shawn." He laughed, gasping as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. "Okay, ease up, Celina." Celina did as she was told.

"Did you want to stay for dinner, Shawn?" she asked.

"Nah," he replied. "Thanks for the offer, but I like to be at home for dinner with the kids on the days off." She nodded.

"I understand."

"Let's work on your kicks," he told her. She nodded. She had been practicing for hours now, and her body was sore. But she was willing to do anything to be ready for Michelle. She was going to mess up that Diva's face so badly that she would need plastic surgery to look decent. She planned to put Michelle on the shelf.

"So, from what I hear you're going to be joining us on Raw when ECW joins us," he told her. She nodded.

"They've got me stretched between SmackDown and ECW because of Mark and Glen," she replied as he caught her foot. She hopped twice and attempted an enzuigiri. Shawn backed away and let her drop. She cried out in surprise.

"You got to think faster, Celina," he told her. She nodded. "Michelle does have speed, and she does have rookie experience. The only thing you have is what we're teaching you. And I hope you're finding this all valuable."

"I find it extremely valuable, Shawn. I really appreciate everything you guys have been doing for me." Shawn smiled.

"Just kick Michelle's ass for us. The woman makes all of us miserable on the roster," Shawn told her. "Stupid Diva Search rejects."

"Well, that was very Christian of you," Celina observed. Shawn smirked.

"I've been in this business a long time, Celina," he told her, "And I've come across some real pieces of work. Missy Hyatt, Rena Mero... Michelle McCool is right on the list." She nodded.

"Real bitch. Reminds me of Butterfly."

"Butterfly?" Shawn cocked an eyebrow.

"She was a dancer at a club I used to work at. She'd go out of her way to make everyone look stupid onstage." Shawn nodded. She thought she saw Mark's face darken at the mention of her dancing days. "She was a blonde too." Shawn laughed.

"Something in the bleach, I guess," he replied. They both laughed and went back to work while Mark watched on, sipping his giant mug of coffee.


	69. Crashing the Party

**Sixty-Nine**

Several weeks later, Celina and Mark entered the Alltell arena in Little Rock, Arkansas, hand in hand. Mark was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt with a leather jacket, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail, his green eyes covered by dark sunglasses. His hip had since healed; the itching and irritation had disappeared, as had most of the pain. They both caught the stares the backstage workers and colleagues were giving them, but they opted to ignore it. He could feel Celina self-conscious under his fingertips, but he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She looked stunning, dressed in a black strapless minidress with a thick black vinyl belt around her torso. Her hair was waved around her face, her makeup dark, her lipstick earthy and neutral. She always looked good. He loved that about her.

He walked her to his locker room. With Michelle on the loose and looking at any chance to attack Celina, he decided it would be better for her to be close to him at all times. So he could keep an eye on her. He opened the door for her and she walked past him as he stole a glance at her retreating figure. He smirked.

She dropped her duffel bag on a nearby bench and sat down, unzipping it and rifling through for her gear for the night. She planned on interrupting Michelle's match to create a strong buzz for their hardcore match in three weeks. She was looking forward to it; Shawn said that she was a quick learner for somebody with such limited experience. She even had to be amazed by her evolution; after all, when she had arrived, she couldn't even do a sleeper hold.

She looked up at Mark. "You're crashing Edge and Vickie's wedding tonight aren't you?" she asked. He nodded.

"It looks like I'm going to be stretched real thin, with all this shit going on," he replied, sitting down beside her. "Are you going to be all right going out there alone?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," she answered. He nodded.

"Glen and I will be at the Gorilla Position if _anything_ happens, all right?" She shook her head.

"You two will probably be busy with tonight's plans," she replied. "Don't worry about me, Mark. I'll be careful, and I'll be fine." He seemed reluctant, but he nodded.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," he told her, leaning in and giving her a soft kiss on her lips. She leaned into it a little more and pressed her lips harder to his. She pulled back, offering him a soft smile.

"You don't have to worry about me," she replied. "Just worry about making an impact at the wedding tonight, and I will worry about making Michelle my bitch."

Mark laughed. "Just watch yourself for Palumbo and Benjamin, all right?"

She nodded; Mark knew that Shelton's newfound attitude kind of bothered her. But he didn't know all the details about why they had broken up. When it came to Shelton Benjamin, she had remained incredibly tightlipped on the subject. Whatever had happened, it had really bothered Shelton...enough for him to take up an alliance with a midcard Slash wannabe and his bitch of an ex-girlfriend.

Celina gathered her clothing and disappeared into the shower area. When she re-emerged, she was dressed in black vinyl pants and a red corset top. "Mark, can you help me tie the back up?" she asked, turning her back to him. "I can't get my arms up that high." He nodded and made his way over to her, tying her corset in a tight knot before placing a soft kiss on her neck.

"You look great."

"Thanks, Mark," she replied with a smile as she turned on the television. Michelle's match was up next. There was a vignette of Michelle making her way towards the ring. She gave Mark a hug. "Wish me luck," she murmured. He kissed her.

"Break her leg out there," he teased. She smiled and made her way out of the door. She spotted Shane McMahon who winked a welcome back at her and she gave him a salute. She made her way to the Gorilla Position and watched the first five minutes of the match. She contemplated asking the DJ to start up her music, but she decided to use the element of surprise...the advantage of silence.

Michelle made her opponent, Barbie, tap out in her submission hold before rolling out of the ring and making her way up the ramp, her back to Celina. Celina peeled back the curtain and ran down the ramp. Before Michelle could turn around, Celina had a firm grip on Michelle's hair and slammed her face forward onto the ramp. The crowd gasped in shock at the impact of her landing. Celina grabbed Michelle by the hair and threw her back into the ring. She slid into the ring as Michelle curled into the fetal position, holding the back of her head. Celina yanked her to her feet, and hit her with an inverted Impaler DDT with a tornado twist. The crowd roared and she could envision Mick Foley and Michael Cole talking about how cool the move looked. She and Shawn had practiced it until she had managed to get it right. It had taken her hours to get it right with the tornado twist. Michelle was laid out in the ring, Celina standing over her body with a sick smile plastered against her face. She leaned down.

"There's more coming," she threatened, her tone dark, irritated. "I'll see you at _SummerSlam, _bitch."

That's when everything went black for Celina Cooper.


	70. Unbridled Rage

**Seventy**

"Ow! Fuck!"

Mark and Glen watched Celina nervously as the trainers tried to stop the bleeding from her nose. It wasn't broken; but she had hit her face on the way down. They had been worried her nose had been broken again. Dr. Rios had taken a look at her face and had assured them that she was fine.

Celina didn't see Chuck Palumbo behind her. He had hit her hard, fast. Shelton was right behind him. Mark and Glen had been so panicked that they had ran out to the ring, dressed in their street clothes, to brawl with the guys. Vince was absolutely beside himself. Major storylines were being broken and Mark had just fucked up his debut. The fans thought that Mark was going biker again, and Vince was pretty sure at this point, he had no other choice but to go back to that gimmick, because he had fucked up the gothic image by running out for Celina.

Mark knew that Vince was a little bit hot under the collar regarding the whole situation. However, he knew that there was no way that he could sit back and allow Chuck and Shelton to attack Celina like that. He was just evening things out. At the same time, though, he knew that he had broken serious kayfabe by running out to her, in his street gear.

"It's all right, Celina."

"It fucking hurts!" she snapped. Glen smirked.

"You're cute when you're helpless," he told her. She pulled her foot back and kicked him in the shin. Glen jumped back. Mark smirked.

"Still my little spitfire," he replied with a smirk. The door opened and they turned to see Shane McMahon.

"Just me. What's the word? We're still good for _SummerSlam,_ right?" he asked. He softly pulled the ice from her face and checked her. Her nose was still bleeding a little bit and he allowed her to put the ice back to her face.

"Her nose isn't broken," Mark told him. "She'll be fine to go. She just took a good shot, that's all." Shane sighed.

"Good."

"How's Vince?"

"Pissed. No. Not pissed. Pissed is an understatement. Fucking livid." Mark nodded. "You're very lucky that you've been here as long as you have cause anyone else would have gotten canned for that shit. You fucked up the big finish for the show." Mark couldn't help it; he started laughing. Shane shook his head. "Now I know you're fucking losing it. What's so goddamn funny?"

"I don't know," Mark confessed. "I guess we'll get Glen to crash the wedding." Everyone started laughing. "With a set of jumper cables and a car battery." Shane flashed Mark the middle finger while Glen laughed.

The door opened again and the guys turned to see Michelle with Shelton and Chuck behind her. She was nursing a headache; the expression on her face made it obvious, but she sneered at the four.

"Fucking scumsucking slut," Celina cursed. "You set me up?"

Michelle smirked. "I saw you arrive. What? Did you really think that you could get the drop on me?" She leaned in. Celina's eyes were blazing like icy wildfires, her face contorted into the ugliest snarl that Mark had ever seen. "You seriously think you've won the war because you're suddenly fucking Mark? Let him have you. From what I've heard, you're damaged goods anyway." Mark visibly saw Celina flinch and the guys gasped in surprise. In a split second, Celina had dropped her ice pack and had hit Michelle hard with an uppercut. Michelle fell back into Shelton and Chuck, who quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

"Get her the fuck out of here," Shane replied, holding Celina around the ribs as she tried to make her way back to Michelle. Shelton sneered at Celina and informed her it wasn't over before they disappeared.

"Fuck!" Celina screamed.

"What?" Shane asked.

"Now I need a fucking icepack for my knuckles." Mark, Shane and Glen laughed.

"The nose bleed has stopped," Glen said, checking her face. "Your nose is still pretty red though, hon. Just rest up tonight."

"Fucking bitch," Celina murmured. "I'll fucking show her damaged goods when she's getting wheeled out of _SummerSlam_ on a stretcher." Shane laughed. Mark put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Down, Tiger," Glen teased, laughing.

"Fuck that - the little brat has a mean right cross," Mark laughed. "And it was only Michelle."

The door opened and Lisa came in. "Jesus, Celina - are you all right?"

"I'm all right."

"What a fucking finisher!" she gushed. "What are you going to call it?"

"Yeah, Celina...have you got any names thought up?"

"I was thinking the Inhaler."

"Inhaler?"

"Well, it knocks the wind out of you, doesn't it?" They all nodded. She shook her head. "Scumsucking gutterslut." Mark's eyes widened; he'd never heard Celina so riled up. "Bitch!"

"Calm down," Glen replied, laughing. "Mark, you'd better work some of that aggression out of her tonight." Lisa and Shane's face dropped while Celina and Mark introduced the world to the fifty-first shade of red.

"Glen, if you weren't my brother, I'd kick your ass," Mark fired back.

"He isn't your brother, Mark," Celina pointed out. Mark took a step towards Glen. She was starting to feel better as they all started laughing.

"Kamikazes tonight, anyone?" Shane offered.

"Fucking A," Lisa replied. "I'm in on that. Celina?"

"Yeah," she grumbled, "I could definitely use one."

"No drinks for Mark" Glen replied, "Drinks affect your performance."

"Speaking from experience, Glen?" Mark retorted casually. Celina laughed.

"You promised we wouldn't talk about this," Glen teased back.

"You brought it up."

"He got you there," Shane replied. They helped Celina off of the table and they all filed out. Celina was looking to have a few drinks and get her mind off of Michelle McCool. _Just you wait until _SummerSlam,_ bitch_, Celina thought bitterly as Mark wrapped an arm over her shoulders. _Ill get my vengeance. _


	71. Hungover

**Seventy-One**

Mark rolled over in bed the next morning with a headache. He could vaguely remember what had happened the night before. He lost track after his fourteenth Kamikaze. He noticed his clothing all over the floor...and noticed Celinas in-ring out fit on the floor close by. He peeled back the blankets - his eyes wide. His head fell back against the pillow and he laughed. "Oh, fuck right off," he replied, shaking his head. _Just great; supposed to be taking it slow and I fucking took advantage of Celina last night._ He shook his head and rolled over to face her. There was a note on the pillow.

_Morning, babe, _it said. _Got together with Lisa and Nattie to go to the gym. Needed to work out a little more aggression. Meet me for lunch at the downstairs restaurant at noon and nurse that hangover, you lush! Love you lots, xoxo Celina._

He smirked. She had just about as much as he did, but she had Michelle McCool on her brain, and she was willing to put her body through a lot just to make Michelle pay, hangover or not.

He contemplated getting up. He had been lucky that Vince hadn't killed him last night for running to Celina's rescue. But he had signed a match at SummerSlam between Mark and Glen and Palumbo and Benjamin. It was going to be a tag team Hell in A Cell match. Mark was officially out of title contention, and he didn't mind. At this point, he just wanted to tear into Shelton and Chuck. Glen wanted to get his hands on Palumbo, and Mark was dying to get his hands on Shelton. He wished he could put his hands on Michelle, but he knew that despite all his years of loyalty to the company he'd get canned for hitting her. But she deserved it. He relished the vision his mind gave him of Celina hitting Michelle with that hard uppercut. Watching her fall back into her little cronies.

There was a knock on the hotel room door and Mark got into some pajamas and moved the clothing out of sight. The banging continued. "Hold the fuck on!" he snapped, sauntering towards the door. He felt nauseous. "Goddamn kamikazes."

He opened the door and Shane and Glen were standing at the door. "Wow. Don't you look chipper this morning? Didn't get any, did we?" Glen teased.

"I don't remember. Fuck off." He moved back into the room and the guys walked in.

"How's your head?" Shane teased. Mark flashed him the middle finger. "Where's Celina?"

"Off with Nattie and Lisa. She wanted to put some time in the gym."

"She's really working her ass off for this, isn't she?" Shane asked. Mark noded.

"She's really itching for revenge."

"She'll get it too," Glen replied. "Between us, what Shelton's taught her, and the new shit Shawn's taught her, she'll be ready to take it to Michelle."

"UFC still on in two weeks? Dad says that it's a great opportunity to get some exposure for the pay-per-view."

"He's still pissed with me, isn't he?" Shane shook his head.

"He cooled down this morning. You're lucky they're moving John Cena to SmackDown. He understands though. Those three are turning everything into a shoot and you three are in real danger. Celina especially." Mark nodded; he understood. "UFC still on?"

"You know it. Sure you don't want to come, Glen?" Mark offered. Glen nodded.

"UFC isn't really my thing." They nodded. Mark's cell phone went off. He answered it.

"Yeah?" He listened for a second. His lips pursed into a straight, narrow line as he paced back and forth. "Okay, honey. Have fun down there, and call me to let me know you're all right tonight, okay?" He listened again. "Just be careful, all right? Okay. Love you too, sweetie." He hung up the phone and looked over at the guys. They were staring at him with a smirk. "Fuck right off. It was Gracie. She's going on a field trip with her school out of state."

"At her age?" Shane asked with an eyebrow raised. Mark nodded.

"DisneyLand."

"Ah. Sara's not going with?" Mark shook his head.

"She's got Chasey. My oldest is going with her to chaperone." They nodded. "You guys thought it was Celina, didn't you?" They didn't say a word and he chuckled. "What's the game plan? I gotta meet my little spitfire for lunch downstairs at noon?"

"Thought we'd go get some Kamikazes," Shane teased. Mark dismissed him with a wave.

"Fuck that shit," Mark grumbled. "You and your goddamn Kamikazes...no good ever fucking comes out of drinking with you, you rat bastard..."

"Rat bastard?" Shane cocked an eyebrow. "You hang with Celina just a little too much." He laughed.

"You spend one day with her and tell me it isn't fun."

"I can't; she's a blast," Glen replied. Shane nodded in agreement.

"Look, Mark. Just come out with us. We'll get you back in time to meet Celina so you won't spend the rest of your life sleeping on a couch," Shane assured him. "I swear."

Mark sighed; he was hungover, but he was ready to go. "Fine. I'll get dressed." He disappeared, mumbling under his breath. Shane and Glen laughed.


	72. Below the Belts

**Seventy-Two**

The SmackDown fans were rabid as the show aired from the Ice Palace arena in Tampa, Florida. With the surprise returns last week of Celina and the Undertaker, the fans were at a fever pitch, waiting for the next chapter in the complicated saga that had engulfed four Superstars and two Divas.

_"You're not enough for me...just another man in love with me..."_

Michelle McCool emerged through the curtains first, dressed in a pair of black bell bottoms and an emerald green triangle halter, her hair in low pigtails. Shelton was behind her to the left, dressed in a dark green unbuttoned T-shirt with baggy black pants. Chuck was to the right, dressed head to toe in black with that ridiculous Slash top hat on his head. They made their way down to the ring, getting into minor confrontations with rabid fans on the way. Michelle swung her leg onto the apron and shook her hips before getting into the ring, holding the middle rope down for the guys. They entered the ring and showboated for the rabid, agitated crowd as Shelton grabbed Michelle a microphone, making sure to place a kiss on her cheek for the camera. Celina, Mark and Glen were watching backstage, arms crossed, faces marred in anger. She rolled her eyes in disgust at her ex.

"I bet you all thought it was real funny last week to see Celina attack me from behind like that, didn't you?" she snarled. The crowd roared and Celina's face contorted into a sadistic smirk as she nodded in agreement, reveling in her self-satisfaction at the bruise on Michelle's head. "The stupid bitch. First she shows up on _my_ show, steals my boyfriend, and now she's turned all of you against me. I'm not doing this for myself - I'm sticking up for my beloved fans who are constantly being bullied by Celina!"

"Drink some more Kool-Aid, honey," Celina retorted. Mark smirked.

"Don't be too satisfied with yourself, honey," Michelle replied into the cameras. "You may think you're a real winner because you're with Mark, but between me and you, _sweetheart_ -- there's a reason they call him the Deadman." The crowd gasped in shock and Mark's face dropped. Glen was fighting the urge to laugh.

"I never heard her complain," Mark murmured, irritated.

"You all right?" she asked.

"Oh, fine," Mark replied, "apparently I have a sexual problem and now the entire world knows about it. If my day gets any better, I think I'll go do the Old School on a bridge and lose my balance." She laughed.

"Take it easy. We know it isn't true." Glen cocked an eyebrow. Celina didn't even need to turn her head to sense his expression. "Not a fucking word, Glen. Mark, go see if you can get the camera guy to give us a live feed to the ring area." Mark nodded and took off while Shelton took the mic and announced the world that Celina had once been a stripper, which, according to his definition, made her a slut. He went on to say that she had been with so many guys that no matter what he did for her, she just didn't enjoy sleeping with him. She thought it was a little personal, but she took offense. She could count on one hand how many guys she had been with.

The live feed came on. "Ahem, ahem, excuse me. Excuse me."

The trio turned to face them. Mark's face was contorted into the Deadman Stare, while Glen scowled into the camera. "Hey. Sorry to interrupt you three with your storytelling, but to be honest - I don't think there's a single fan in this arena that wants to hear it." The fans roared. "Michelle, I guess you let the cat out of the bag. I am dating Mark, and I'm not his sister. Let's get this straight though -- the apparent problems with your sex life isn't Mark's fault..." She turned her head back to Mark and winked at him. "Trust me. It's not him. I think it's most definitely you. Maybe you and Shelton could work something out between the two of you, since you both seem to be _so_ frustrated."

Michelle smirked. "I'm sure I could get the job done better than you ever could."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Celina replied, "Shelton Benjamin couldn't figure out how to get anybody off if he had a map." The crowd roared and Shelton began shouting, off-mic at the screen. Mark and Glen were openly laughing behind Celina. "Look, I'm going to be blunt with you and your merry little band of misfits, Michelle. Do you really think Sisqo and Slash have a shot in hell taking the Brothers of Destruction? While they beat their asses from corner to corner inside Hell in a Cell, I'll be seeing to it that you leave SummerSlam on a stretcher. And if you're little cronies there want to bring their sorry asses down to the ring to save you from the hell I will unleash on you...think again. I got an executive order from the Board of Directors last night stating that if any_body_ comes within ten to fifteen feet of our little brawl...they will be suspended indefinitely, without pay on the spot. So come SummerSlam, Ms. McCool...your ass...is...mine." The feed cut off and the trio stood in the ring fuming. Celina, Mark and Glen were backstage, laughing.

"Did you even see the look on Shelton's face?" Glen asked, laughing.

"Serves the fucker right," Celina murmured. She linked her hands with the two men. "SummerSlam next weekend. I want you two to promise me that Shelton Benjamin will _not_ be leaving SummerSlam on his feet. I want him - and Palumbo - leaving in the same ambulance as Michelle."

Mark nodded. He stole a glance at Celina. He hoped SummerSlam would be the big finish for everything with Michelle. He saw there was so much hatred for the woman, and it was starting to consume her. It worried him.


	73. A Day at the Beach

**Seventy-Three**

_SummerSlam_ broke attendance records at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Mark and Glen had gone to the arena early, but with nobody due at the arena until at least one-thirty, Lisa, Nattie, Barbie and Celina all decided to go to a beach. They laid their towels out along the sand and Barbie dropped her white floral sundress, revealing a small, glittering emerald green bikini. She had a one night only return of Kelly's Expose in the middle of the show.

Lisa was in a black bikini, signing autographs for a few guys who recognized her. She took her place on an outstretched white towel and laid back. Celina was already sun-tanning; in a bloodred T-shaped strapless bathing suit. She wore a big pair of sunglasses on her face. Her serenity unnerved Lisa; she was only hours away from the biggest match of her life. It was so huge that most of the wrestling community considered it to be one of the show's main events.

Nattie was dressed in a sleek black one-piece bathing suit, sitting on a rainbow striped towel, rubbing suntan lotion on herself, her blonde hair cascading down her back.

"How the fuck can you not be nervous?" Nattie mused, laying back down on her towel. "This is without a shadow of a doubt the biggest match of your career, Celina."

"I'm not nervous," Celina replied. "I know that when the night's over, the little bitch is going to be leaving on a stretcher. I guaran-fucking-tee it."

"What the hell is Shelton's problem?" Lisa asked. Celina shrugged.

"I don't know."

"What the fuck happened between you two anyway?" Nattie asked. "One second, you're a happy couple, the next second you're tapping the Undertaker!"

"He broke up with me," Celina replied, "Told me to go after Mark. I did, and now look. He's being a dick."

"I think it's the fact that you left him for an alpha male, so to speak," Lisa replied. "Because we all know that Mark could fucking crush him." The girls laughed.

"What a dick, though," Barbie commented. "Attacking you with Palumbo like that."

"I'm just glad that my nose didn't get broken again," Celina replied. "That would have fucking sucked."

"I heard you punched out Michelle," Nattie replied.

"Yeah," Celina said. "Awesome uppercut. Too bad Lisa wasn't there with that fucking phone." The girls laughed. "She told me I was damaged goods."

"What? Like that bitch is a fucking virgin," Barbie snapped. The girls laughed.

"So what are they doing with Mark's character now, since he ran out like that?" Nattie asked. Celina shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure they want to go gothic since the integrity's been compromised or something, and I'm pretty sure they don't want to go back to biker." The girls nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if they just fucking called him Mark and let him just be himself until this shit blows over."

"It doesn't sound good for business though," Lisa replied. The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Again, guys, it's all up in the air," she told them. "I have no idea what Vince wants, and Mark doesn't either. Especially with Michelle breaking all sorts of fucking creative rules left and right." The girls nodded. "Shit, could you imagine what would have happened if I didn't say anything about Mark and I? Probably would have thought he was some fucked up pervert."

"Not necessarily. Fans are smart," Barbie replied. Celina laughed.

"There's a lot of them out there that are still convinced that Mark and Glen are brothers." Barbie scoffed.

"Idiots."

"I wouldn't say that too loudly," Nattie replied matter-of-factly. "Just because you're on ECW doesn't mean the fans respect you. Insulting their intelligence is only going to piss them off and I doubt your oral skills are ready to take care of the millions of them." Celina's jaw dropped and Lisa and Nattie laughed.

"Fuck off," Barbie snapped, going quiet as she sun-tanned in silence.

"I'm amazed you're not more nervous, Celina."

"I'm nervous," she told them. "I just won't let anybody know it."


	74. Celina Cooper vs Michelle McCool

**Seventy-Four**

_"You're not enough for me...just another man in love with me..."_

Michelle came down to the ring first, dressed in a black version of her typical in ring gear, her hair down around her face, slightly waved. She was upset that Celina had made an order with the Board to keep Shelton and Chuck away. She had put Celina through the ringer and she knew that now that it was down to the wire, Celina was looking to put the hurt on her. And in a hardcore match, no less. She had tried to appeal to Vince's better nature, to flirt, to try anything to get out of the match. But Vince had been adamant. The fans were screaming for Celina to rip Michelle apart by her bleached blonde roots.

She did her trademark ring entrance and got into the ring. She began to pace back and forth, unable to hide the nervousness that was taking over her.

_"And when I stomp you, that'll be the end of you, that's it - it's the end of you, time to jump ship...cause I'm a psycho and I'm crazy..."_

The lights kicked up and the fans screamed as Celina walked through the curtains calmly, dressed in a black halter pantsuit that was designed like Kane's tights with a zipper that was unzipped to her stomach, revealing a peek of red bra. Michelle was befuddled; she was expecting Celina to make her way through the curtains and make a beeline for Michelle. Instead, she was moving down the ramp, shaking hands and high fiving fans, all the while keeping those eyes locked on Michelle. The referee, Mike Chioda, held Michelle back with a stern arm to the stomach while Celina made her way into the ring. She stormed right past Michelle and brushed her shoulder off, standing on the middle turnbuckle and holding up an arm. The fans cheered. Michelle charged at Celina, who jumped off of the turnbuckle and glared at Michelle. Michelle and Celina instantly began to trade blows, the referee calling for the bell almost instantly as they began trading shots back and forth. Michelle whipped Celina into the ropes, only to have Celina take her down with a Lou Thesz press with mounted punches. The referee was admonishing her, but she ignored it, leveling shot after shot at Michelle's face. Michelle was struggling underneath Celina before rolling her over onto her back. Celina looped her legs under Michelle's arm and pinned her for a two count, letting go of the pin. She wasn't done just yet.

She backed away as Michelle scowled at Celina. Celina held her thumb and forefinger close together. "This close, little bitch," she taunted. Michelle hit Celina with a double leg takedown and began to start punching at Celina, who was working very well to block the shots. The referee grasped Michelle around the torso and pulled her off. While she argued with the referee, Celina snapped to her feet and hit Michelle with a spear, knocking them both out of the ring and spilling to the arena floor. She was on top of Michelle in a flash, hitting Michelle repeatedly as the referee stood in the ring, shouting for them to get back into the ring. She grasped Michelle by the hair and pulled her to her feet before ripping her backwards to the ground. She rushed to the ring and pulled up the apron, pulling out a kendo stick. She held it up high and the fans roared as she began to hit Michelle's bare back with the stick. Michelle screamed out in pain as Celina hit her repeatedly, welting her back. She hit Michelle until the kendo stick splintered and she threw it out into the crowd. While Michelle lay in the fetal position at ringside, Celina stood over her, catcalling her, kicking her in the ribs.

"You're a real big woman now, huh?" Celina shouted, kicking her again. The fans were roaring for Celina, bloodthirsty, waiting for Michelle's blood. She grabbed Michelle, who was still nursing the welts on her back. She threw Michelle into the ring post. Michelle hit hard, head-first, tumbling to the ground. She motioned for Raw announcer Lilian Garcia to move. Lilian moved to the side and Celina grabbed a chair, snapping it shut and throwing it into the ring. She went towards Michelle, who desperately kicked her in the stomach. Celina knew to be careful and she turned away, doubling over. Michelle kicked at the back of her knee and she dropped down to a knee as Michelle struggled to her feet. She grabbed Celina by the hair and threw her back. She went to stomp Celina's stomach, but Celina grabbed her ankle and pulled Michelle off balance, sending her down to the ground. She crawled onto Michelle and began to level punch after punch to Michelle. She moved off, and grabbed Michelle by the hair, throwing her back into the ring.

Celina picked up the chair and waited for Michelle to stand to her feet. She ran at Michelle with the chair, but Michelle ducked it, leveling Celina with a roundhouse kick. She tried to cover for a two, but Celina kicked out. Michelle dragged her to her feet and tried to set her up with her Wings of Love finisher. Celina shrugged off her grip and hit her with a hard kick to the jaw. Michelle fell to the canvas. The fans roared; Celina stumbled to the top rope and waited for a few minutes, trying to catch her breath. It had been a close call. She slid out of the ring and pulled up the ring apron, throwing garbage cans, kendo sticks, fire extinguishers and a long chain. She slid back into the ring as Michelle grabbed a garbage can lid and leveled Celina with it. She scampered on top of Celina and tried to cover, but Celina put her foot along the bottom rope. Frustrated, Michelle kicked Celina in the ribs and pulled her by the leg into the middle of the ring, covering her for a two count before Celina raised her left shoulder.

Michelle began arguing with the referee and Celina rolled her up in a schoolboy pin for a one count. She scrambled to her feet and hit Michelle with a hard clothesline, sending the two of them sprawling to the canvas. She grabbed fistfuls of Michelle's hair, straddling her opponent and repeatedly slamming her head into the canvas. With one hard slam, she stood to her feet and kicked her in the ribs. She laid out a chair on the canvas and grabbed another one. Michelle stood to her feet, turning hazily as Celina hit her with the hardest chairshot any fans had ever witnessed. Michelle's nose exploded in a fountain of blood as she fell to the canvas in shock. She sat up a little bit, watching the pools of blood form quickly. Celina stood over her and hit her across the face with the chair again, laying her out. She continued to hit Michelle repeatedly with the chair until the referee confiscated the chair from Celina, throwing it over the top rope and to the ground below. Michelle was unconscious, unmoving, but Celina wasn't finished. Grabbing Michelle by the hair and dragging her to her feet, Celina positioned her over the chair and hit her with the Inhaler. Michelle hit face first onto the steel chair and Celina rolled her over, covering her for the three count. The bell rang.

_"Everybody down! Everybody down! I need every single person right now on the ground!"_

"And the winner of this match...Celina Cooper!" The fans roared as she grabbed Michelle by the hair and ejected her from the ring. Michelle lay in a crumpled heap in front of the ring as the referee raised her arm. Dropping her arm, the referee motioned for her to stay into the ring and made an X with his arms. EMTs and paramedics made their way down to the ring. Celina pushed past the referee and stood on the bottom rope, watching with a sick smile as the emergency medical technicians began to strap Michelle to the stretcher. She got what she had wanted. Justice was hers.


	75. Moodswings and Confusion

_**A/N: Sorry for the late update, guys. I had an accident at work a little while ago and burned my fingers up something good. It's been a chore to type. Thanks so much for all your patience. **_

**Seventy-Five**

Celina collapsed on the mattress, exhausted. Mark was behind her, carrying his bags. Celina had dropped hers in the doorway and made a beeline for the bed. Mark was still visibly disturbed by what he had seen earlier on in the night. He still had the image in his head of Michelle choking and panicking on her own blood as she was wheeled backstage. He knew that turnabout was fair play, but he had never seen such a violent streak in Celina. And the truth was that he wasn't sure he liked it.

She was oblivious to his shaken demeanor, however, closing her eyes in joy at the feeling of the comfortable mattress underneath her. Mark and Glen had tooled the hell out of Shelton and Chuck, but nowhere to the extent that Celina had beaten Michelle. Watching her so panicked...it made him think of when Celina's nose was broken. The violence between the two Divas was getting out of hand.

"Come on over here," she purred, motioning him to come over to her. He flashed her a soft smile and sat down on the bed. She sat herself up. "What are you thinking about, Mark?"

He stared at her, flashing her a soft smile. "Nothing," he answered.

She stared at him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know you better than that. It's about the match tonight, isn't it? You didn't want me to hurt the little princess," she replied, her voice dripping with venom. Mark shook his head.

"It's just always a bit of a shock to realize that women can be just as ugly as us guys." He shook his head. "You two have gotten out of hand, Celina. You have to remember we're professionals...you got to think that the other Divas that you may not get along with very well are going to fear getting into the ring with you because of shit like this."

Her head snapped off of his shoulder as though she had been burned. "I thought you were on my side here!" she raged. Mark shook his head.

"Celina, I _am_ on your side. Believe me, nobody would have liked to see her get hers more than me. But you have to remember that you have a career to worry about too!"

She shook his head. "That's really fucking convenient. I didn't see you too goddamn concerned when she broke my fucking nose!"

"Oh, for fuck's sakes," he murmured under his breath. "Celina, what the fuck is up with you? You know what? I think I'm going to go have a drink with Glen. Get your fucking head straightened out and we'll talk when I get back."

"Don't hold your breath," she snapped, standing up from the bed and disappearing into the bathroom, slamming the door hard behind her. Mark sighed. Vince had approached him after the match and had ripped him a new one. Yes, everyone wanted to see Celina tear Michelle apart...however, Celina doing that opened up a whole host of lawsuit possibilities and the last thing Vince needed was the "inmates running the asylum" as he put it. He was not impressed with the fact that Celina took it upon herself to beat Michelle so badly. It was way more than obvious that the injuries to Michelle were on purpose. From Mark's understanding, there was a bone splinter in Michelle's nose that was dangerously close to her brain and was going to require surgery. Vince had just lost one of his top Divas because of this problem, and regardless of the actions either one of them had inflicted on each other, he had a business to think about. Mark realized how stupid he was at the moment to have told Vince he'd talk to her about it himself. He should have gotten Vince to do it. Now Celina was in the bathroom, breathing fire. He shook his head. _Fucking women,_ Mark thought. _No matter how much you love them, they're all the fucking same. _With a deep breath, he gathered his keycard, storming out as he slid the card into his pocket.

The talk with Vince had been informative. Tonight's match was a blow-off match. After what happened, there was no way that he was going to put either of them back into a ring with one another. He told Mark that he planned to keep her on ECW and off of SmackDown TV as a result. Anything to keep her away from Michelle because it was out of hand.

He stepped into the elevator. Glen was two floors below, sharing a room with Edge. He sighed; if anyone knew about how fucked up things could get with women, it was definitely Adam.

The elevator door slid open with a soft ring and Mark made his way down the hallway. Glen's room was the last door on the left and he made the walk there within mere seconds. He knocked on the door and waited for Glen to answer.

The door opened and Adam stood on the other side of him, dressed in a pair of black drawstring pajama pants and a white muscle shirt. "Mark?"

"Need a drink. Now," he added when Adam didn't move fast enough. Adam disappeared and Glen took his place at the door. "How'd the talk go?" he asked.

"She's pissed." Glen sighed and stepped aside, allowing Mark into the room. Adam handed him a beer. Mark drank it in two gulps and threw the can in the recycling bin, motioning for Adam to hand him another. Adam shot Glen a reluctant look, but handed Mark another beer anyway. "She accused me of taking Michelle's side and had the fucking nerve to accuse me of not being worried about her nose being broken." He shook his head. "The fuck is up with her? She's been such a moody bitch lately. I thought it had to do with Michelle, but I think there's something more going on."

"Maybe she's knocked up," Adam commented with a smirk, sipping on a beer.

"Bite your tongue," Mark snapped. He shook his head. He was silent for a few seconds, taking a long sip of beer. He exhaled, his voice exasperated. "Adam, I could fucking kill you!" Glen couldn't help but laugh.

"It would explain why Celina's been a bitch lately," Glen replied. "That is, assuming you two have..."

"Shut up, Glen..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Beer me." He slammed the can down and Adam handed him another one. Adam found the scene somewhat amusing. "Fucking women," he muttered, popping the can open again. "Can you believe she had the fucking audacity to accuse me of taking sides?" He shook his head. "It's bad enough I'm dealing with the fucking drama with Shelton Benjamin for God's sakes, I have to inherit her fucking problems with Michelle?"

"How is Michelle anyway?" Adam asked, sitting down in a chair. Mark exhaled and sat down at the foot of Glen's bed.

"From the preliminaries, it appears there's a bone splinter close to the brain. Dr. Rios says she needs surgery tonight and she'll be out a few months. Vince is livid and he's taking the issue up with me and not Celina. Like, why the fuck am I getting bitched out? Celina's a contracted Diva now." He shook his head. "I love her so much, you guys, but I don't understand why she's so pissed off. I mean, what's going to happen when she has to work with a woman she has a problem with? Nobody is going to want to get into the ring with her. They're going to be scared that she's going to take liberties, and her career is going to be over before she knows it. And she just doesn't see that."

Glen sat down in a chair, sipping on a beer. "Seriously, take it easy, Mark. You're panicking out of nothing here. Celina's just being stubborn. You have to understand that there's a lot of shit going on with Celina and Michelle."

"You don't think I don't know that?" Mark asked. "The second those two met for the first time, you could cut the tension. I understand, okay? And if she thinks Michelle hasn't done anything to me, she's out of her mind. The woman lied about a pregnancy. For a little while there, frankly speaking, she had me by my set." He shook his head. "I'm not taking sides here, guys."

"We know you're not," Adam assured him. "But, Mark, I know you don't want to hear this, but you might want to think that she could be pregnant. it would explain the moodswings. Has she been sick?"

"No. Just a bitch." The guys laughed. Mark continued to drink. But Adam's words kept weighing on him. The word pregnancy just instantly made him paranoid. But there was definitely something up with Celina. He just needed to figure out what.


	76. Celina's Confusion

**Seventy-Six**

When Mark arrived back at the hotel, Celina was asleep on the couch. She had obviously passed out, waiting for him to come home. He stared down at her, admiring the way her hair fanned out around her face, the way her arm rested across her stomach. He sighed; to say he was lightly toasted was a bit of an understatement. He was so drunk that he could smell the liquor on him.

He thought about moving her. He didn't want to wake her up; for one thing, she looked peaceful...and for the second bit of logic, she may have still been pissed with him. He shrugged. _Fuck it,_ he thought, walking towards the bedroom. He was hardly walking a straight line. It had been surprising how much he had put away. It wasn't that he was a heavy drinker; far from it. But once somebody had dropped the "p" word, he had just started knocking them back. The thought of her being pregnant baffled him; Christ, wasn't he too old to be having kids? It seemed like more and more he always brought things back to his age, as though he had realized that he wasn't a spring chicken anymore.

He peeled back the blanket and settled in, still dressed. He didn't care; he was drunk, he was exhausted, and he knew in the morning he was going to be hungover hardcore. He only hoped that Celina wouldn't start yelling at him first thing. If she wasn't going to yell at him about Michelle, she was definitely going to tear a strip off of his ass for getting hammered. His head hit the pillow and his eyelids began to get heavy. His mind was slowing down considerably and before he knew it, he was out like a light, snoring loudly.

Celina was having the most beautiful dream, but there was this ugly noise that ripped her out, waking her up. It sounded like snoring. She opened her eyes; the hotel room was still dark. Sitting up, she looked around. She thought about calling out to Mark, but she knew better than to wake him up. He could be a real asshole when woken up before morning. She couldn't help but wonder when he got in. She saw the clock on the microwave in the kitchenette area, and it said it was after two. She lazily stood to her feet and made her way to the bedroom area, where Mark was laid out in bed, snoring loudly. She could already smell the liquor on him, and she had half a mind to kick his ass. _He stormed out on me, just to go and get fucking loaded?_ she thought, irritated. But she was exhausted. She contemplated waking him up, just to rip him a new one. But she knew he was going to be feeling it in the morning. With a deep sigh, she peeled back the blankets and climbed in beside Mark. She rested her head on his chest and she instantly felt his arm squeeze her tightly against him. Even though she was a little more than irritated with him, there was an undeniable comfort that his arms provided her. She sighed; she had been so upset when he had left, and she couldn't figure out why. She had sat down at the foot of the bed and she cried, resting her head in her hands. Celina wanted to be stubborn, she wanted to make him crawl to her and apologize, but she knew better than to expect that from Mark. It had been a miracle that he had even apologized after all the bullshit with Michelle. It wasn't any fault of Mark's'; it was just his tough guy Texan mentality.

Her breathing began to slow and she wondered if she was going to fall back asleep. The sky wasn't lightening up just yet, but she had managed to cry herself to sleep while watching some TV.

The scent of alcohol was strong, and she wondered just how much he had drank, and even where he had gone. She wasn't even sure. She had been worried about him. She knew better than to snap at him the way that she had about Michelle, and she couldn't understand why - after all, she had no reason to feel any sort of jealousy.

She knew she had taken some liberties with Michelle in the ring. Mark was definitely right. But she definitely wasn't about to apologize. Michelle had it coming. Breaking her nose, lying about a pregnancy and just being an All American Bitch, it was bound to happen.

A yawn overtook her and she felt Mark stir beneath her, rolling onto his side so that she was facing him. He looked so cute sleeping. She thought about giving him a kiss, but she knew at the moment she wanted to kick him. The feelings were ripping her apart. He seemed so irresistible, but she wanted to club him at the same time. She just snuggled closer to him, placing her head against his warm chest and closing her eyes, praying for sleep to overtake her.


	77. Good Morning, Beautiful

**Seventy-Seven**

Mark woke up in the morning, feeling like death had warmed over him. The irony of his nickname being the "Deadman" wasn't lost on him as his eyes slowly opened, not before his eyes were squinting in the sunlight. His eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings before focusing on those familiar ice blue eyes. Celina was straddling him. He was about to smile, some evil thoughts running through his mind at the sight of her, however, the look in her eyes definitely said that she meant business. He'd have to wait till later, because he was pretty sure he'd get cock blocked at the moment.

"What happened last night?" she said, trying to keep her voice level, even though Mark could tell she was upset. _No. Scratch that, you moron. She's livid. Pissed. Ready to bury you next to that godawful Mean Mark Callous gimmick._ "You fucking disappear until God knows when you came in last night, and you just walk right past me and don't even let me know that you're okay? And not only that...you still smell like a fucking brewery!"

Mark sighed; and so it begins. He contemplated asking her if there was a ring on her finger, because she was sounding like a wife, but he knew that would just piss her off even more. That was the last thing that he definitely wanted to do; explain to the guys that Celina put a few stitches in his face. Being hungover wouldn't even save him from the ribbing and the teasing. He sighed. "I visited with Adam and Glen."

"Did you guys go out?"

"Honestly? I don't remember." The truth was that he didn't. He couldn't remember what had happened after Adam had brought out the hard liquor. He remembered Adam pulling out a bottle of Jack, but after that it started getting pretty hazy.

_Pregnant._ Mark definitely remembered that. His eyes darted to her stomach. She was seething, he could see it, but he couldn't see a bump on her stomach at all. Nothing. He wondered if Adam had just made him paranoid. The entire situation would have been totally humorous to him had he not been feeling the aftereffects of being so goddamn wasted. "Celina, how are you feeling?"

She blinked, taken aback by his question. "I feel fine." Her tone was still icy.

"I want you to go to the doctor."

"Why?"

"Jesus, Celina, are you writing a book?" he asked, grabbing his head as a sharp, stabbing pain gripped his brain. She brought a fist down on his stomach and got off him. He reached out to her, but she just stormed out.

"Prick," she heard him murmur. He smiled and struggled to sit up. He'd ask if she had made coffee, but he was pretty sure he'd be wearing it. The thought made him chuckle as he struggled to get out of bed. His knees were especially bad this morning, on top of the throbbing headache he had. He stood to his feet, gripping the headboard for some kind of support until his knees loosened up and he began making his way towards the kitchen.

Celina was leaned against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee. He took it from her and put it on the counter. "Until you see the doctor, limit the caffeine intake, all right?"

"Oh, for fuck..." she murmured. She went to storm past him, but he grabbed her arm.

"Celina, what the hell is your problem?"

"Fuck off!" she snapped. He didn't know why he wanted to laugh so hard, but he kept his grip firm and fixed his best Deadman stare on her.

"Celina, something is up. What is going on here?"

"Why don't you go have a few more drinks?" she snapped back. He sighed.

"Celina, are you fucking pregnant or something? Because you've been a real bitch." Her hand swung to hit him, but he caught her other arm. She stared at him, shocked. Never in a million years would she have ever thought to even swing at Mark. She stared up into his eyes, which reflected the same shock as hers. Her head collapsed onto his chest and she began to sob, violent sobs. The entire situation took him aback. He felt her begin to slide to the floor, but he gripped her tightly as she sobbed. It was the most heartbreaking thing he had ever seen.

"Celina, why are you crying?"

"You hate me!"

He smirked. "I don't hate you, but you've been so moody."

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" she cried. She thought about the night before, how she went from feelings of immense love for Mark to feelings of sheer hatred. The feelings scared her.

"Celina, please. When we get home, please go see the doctor. It's really difficult seeing you like this." She stared up at him and saw the pain in his eyes. She nodded, burrowing her head back into his chest. He looked over at the clock. They weren't due anywhere for a few hours. "Come on," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Let's go lay down and we'll talk, okay? I need to lay down anyway."

"Lights on?"

"You trying to fucking torture me, Celina? I've got a hangover?"

"Who's fault is that?" she raged back. He smirked.

"Touche. Fine, Celina. We'll leave the light on." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the bedroom. He was so very much in love with her. But even the idea of her being pregnant scared the hell out of him. And he was pretty sure it would scare the hell out of her.


	78. Confusion

**Seventy-Eight**

Mark was sitting in the hall of the doctor's office, waiting for any word on Celina. He was dressed head to toe in black, and he realized that he stuck out like a sore thumb by the stares that he got while he waited.

Celina's moodswings had been rough for him. He couldn't say the right thing, do the right thing. He tried so hard to make her feel better, but he only wound up making things worse. It killed him.

She was pretty sure that she wasn't pregnant. But Mark wasn't so sure. Whether or not she was pregnant anyways, there was something definitely up with her. She had tried to hit him. They both realized the severity of her moodswings at that moment. For all of Mark's blatant stupidity and all his bullshit, he knew Celina would never in a million years think about putting her hands on him. Not that he'd strike her back, but still.

She had been upset when he had called Vince and said they were both going to take a couple weeks to straighten her out. Vince was relieved. He hoped everyone would forget what had happened and they could bring back the Original Deadman. As far as Vince was concerned, it was an opportunity for him to put the entire mess of Michelle and Celina behind him.

Glen had called Mark and let him know that Michelle was out of surgery, but still in pretty rough shape. It looked as though she was going to miss a few months. But they fixed the bone splinter. Mark sighed; his assessment was so right. Celina was a fucking hurricane, turning everything upside down in her path. But he still loved her.

He was thinking about it. What if she was pregnant? At least this time he'd know that he was with somebody who was really pregnant. With her career in the WWE just starting, he hated to think about what would have to happen if Celina was pregnant. He cursed himself. He should have thought about being a little more careful. Now he'd have to put up with Celina flying off the handle for God knows how long.

They were running some tests on her, and he had asked for a pregnancy test, much to her chagrin. He had only smirked; let the doctor put up with her ranting and raving. Anyways, he'd have to put up with it when he took her home.

The doctor made his way out of the room, clipboard in his hand. Mark stood to his feet, towering over the doctor. He stared up at Mark.

"Mr. Calaway, you came with Ms. Cooper, right?" he asked, searching for his name on the clipboard.

"Yeah. She okay?"

"When did the moodswings start?"

"You mean when did I notice they were out of hand?" he asked. The two men shared a chuckle.

"Last night she just about hit me. She's a little spitfire, Celina is, but never in a million years would she ever think to clock me." He shook his head. "Is she pregnant?"

"The test says she's not," the doctor replied. "However, I do think she's suffering from some kind of a mental breakdown. Is she suffering from a career burnout?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Relationship breakup?"

"She did get out of a relationship just before we started dating, but..." He shook his head.

"Any problems with people?"

"Yeah, she just had a match where she beat the hell out of my ex-girlfriend," Mark explained. "It was after the match I noticed she was moodier than usual."

"Isn't wrestling fake?"

Mark smirked; even at his age, it never ceased to amaze him how stupid some people could be. "So, what is it exactly? Just a nervous breakdown?"

"That's what it seems like. We'd like to run some tests on her, observe things like sleeping habits, and see what we're dealing with."

"Can I see her?"

"Sure. We sedated her, but she's still awake. Don't be too worried if she's a little docile." Mark nodded and the doctor led him down the hallway to Celina's room.

He peered in. She was laying in the hospital bed, laid back against the pillow, watching Family Guy on the TV perched above her head. She looked peaceful, and it was obvious she was sedated. He knocked on the door and her eyes turned to him. It was a heartbreaking sight; her vibrant eyes, usually so full of life, were dull and listless. She offered him a sad smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know what they pumped me with, but I'm not feeling too much of anything right now," she replied, forcing a chuckle. He sat down beside her bed. "I'm sorry I tried to hit you."

He laughed. "That's not a big deal," he answered. "I'm more worried about the moodswings."

"What did the doctor say?" she asked, leaning her head back. She was exhausted suddenly.

"It's not important right now, Celina," he told her, kissing her forehead. "You're exhausted." He stood to his feet. "I'll let you get some sleep."

"Mark?"

He looked down at her. She looked so lost. It was so strange and difficult for him to see her laying in a hospital bed, knowing that they were going to test the hell out of her to see if it was a mental disorder or something. "What?"

"Don't go."

His heart melted. She moved over to the side and he maneuvered himself onto the bed with her, cradling to him, watching her as she fell asleep in his arms.


	79. Insomnia

**Seventy-Nine**

Celina woke up in the middle of the night to find Mark still clutching tightly to her. She was amazed he hadn't fallen off the hospital bed yet, or that any nurses hadn't kicked him out.

She felt terrible. Like everything was her fault. Mark deserved better than her ranting and raving and abuse. She curled her head onto his chest a little more and she felt his arms tighten around her.

"Celina?"

"Sorry, Mark," she replied. "Go back to sleep."

He yawned. "I'm all right. What are you doing awake? Weren't you sedated?"

"I couldn't sleep." He stroked her hair, and his eyes slowly closed.

"Celina," he replied, keeping his tone low, "Can you even remember the last time you've had a full night's sleep?"

Celina was silent. He had a point. She was in bed late, and up before dawn. She was always awake before Mark, but she figured it was just because he was a man, and most men spent their lives sleeping. She sighed; she supposed she knew different now.

Her insomnia began when she had started dancing. She could never sleep after a set, no matter how hard she tried. She'd lay in bed, watching the alarm clock tick down as the sun began to rise over the horizon. From there on, she'd be lucky if she got more than four hours of sleep a night. Mark had caught onto it, many nights when they'd lay in bed, when she'd been convinced he was asleep, but he knew better than to worry about her. She wouldn't allow it.

"How's Michelle?" Celina asked. "I know you know."

"It's not important, Celina," he assured her.

"I really opened everyone up to a lawsuit, didn't I?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Unless you wanted to countersue for the broken nose," he told her. He sighed. "They fixed the splinter near her nose, and she'll be out for a few months."

"How long are we out for?"

"A couple weeks. Vince wants us to kind of fade out and come back repackaged," Mark informed her. "He's been absolutely beside himself here." He felt her head nod against his chest. They were silent.

"Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't want me to be pregnant, did you?"

He sighed. He wasn't sure how to answer it without her telling him he was lying. "What makes you think that, Celina?"

"I don't know." She sighed.

"Did you want to be pregnant or something, Celina?" he asked. She sighed.

"I don't know. Sometimes it's like I want a child, and other times, I wonder if my ship has sailed." She scoffed. "I'm the last person who should have a kid anyways. Look at me, strapped up with IVs and sedated. I can't even fucking take care of myself."

"Celina, this situation isn't your fault. You've been under a lot, but there's only so much a girl can take." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Close your eyes, Celina honey. Try and get some sleep."

"When are they going to release me, Mark? I just want to go home."

Mark felt his features soften. She sounded so lost and it was heartbreaking to him. "They're just running some tests, Celina. When they're finished up with that, then you're going to go home."

She burrowed her head into his chest and closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. The last few days she had been on a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The feelings scared her. She felt Mark's arms wrap around her tighter. It seemed funny to her, but it was the first time in a long time where she physically felt safe. She tried to slow her mind down, tried to fall asleep, but instead gave up and just reveled in the comfort that Mark's arms provided.


	80. More Trouble for Celina

**Eighty**

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts..."

"Di di di di di di..."

"There they are all standing in a row..."

"Bum bum bum..."

Mark opened his eyes to hear the atrocious singing down the hallway. "The fuck is that?" he murmured. He was exhausted. His neck ached and he hadn't really gotten any sleep.

Celina stretched. "Please don't let that be for us..." Mark sighed. Celina nodded, curling up against him.

"Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head..."

The door opened and Lisa, Nattie and Glen stalked in, carrying flowers and balloons emblazoned with "Get Well Soon". Mark groaned.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Mark asked as he noticed a doctor walk past. Celina laughed as the expressions dropped on the trio's faces.

"Why do you have to hate on us like that, Mark?" Lisa inquired. "Anyways, we're here for Celina."

"Come to visit your crazy friend, huh?" Celina asked. They were visibly disturbed by her mellow demeanor. Glen tied some balloons to a chair and the girls put the flowers down on a nearby table as they sat down with her.

"You're not crazy," Lisa replied. "You've just put up with a lot of stupid shit. Frankly, I think Nat and I would be a little more concerned if you didn't go batshit." Celina's face contorted into a smile and she laughed.

"Well, when you put it like that..."

"What's happening?"

"I don't know. They're running some tests," Celina admitted. "They've been keeping me nice and docile in the event I become belligerent." The girls laughed. Glen looked over at Mark.

"Comfortable?"

"Fuck off." He stretched out.

"When are they releasing you, Celina?" Nattie asked.

"I'm hoping for today, but that might be a tad unrealistic," Celina admitted. "I just want to go home."

Lisa leaned over and gave her best friend a hug. "I know you do, honey, but we got to make sure you're okay."

"I know," Celina replied. The tears were stinging behind her eyelids. She brushed off the tears by laughing. "What the hell was up with that awful singing?"

They all laughed. "I'm just amazed Glen backed me up," Lisa replied. Mark looked over at Glen and groaned.

"Both of you - don't quit your day job." Everyone laughed. "Did you guys really have to walk in here after that? It's bad enough I had to hear you guys singing, but now everyone knows that we know you!"

Celina laughed. "It's kind of sweet...in a weird, twisted kind of way..."

"We aim to please," Glen replied with a smirk, prompting Celina to laugh. "See, Mark? It cheered her up. I will bet you Celina hasn't smiled like that in a while." Mark sighed; Glen was definitely right there. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen Celina stress free and happy. Even the circumstances of their reunion had been deep-rooted with stress and despair.

Lisa smiled at her best friend. There was some bad news to give her, but Lisa knew that now wasn't the time to level it on her. She had just gotten word from Ric that his son Reid was being called up to the main roster, onto the ECW brand to start off. With Reid and Celina on the same roster together, there was no telling how Celina was going to handle it. What was worse, Majestic - his little mistress - had been called up as his manager. Vince was really pushing to start a second generation faction, and he thought Majestic had the look to be a great manager...and an even better mouthpiece.

Glen sensed Lisa's hesitation. "Mark, can I talk to you outside for a second?" he asked. Mark nodded.

"I need a stretch anyways. My knees are killing me." He moved off of the bed and steadied himself as he stood, allowing the stiff muscles to ease up. He made his way out of the room, turning to the ladies. "Keep out of trouble...and Celina...if Lisa starts singing again, kill her." They all started laughing.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Celina asked as they closed the door. Lisa and Nattie shrugged.

"Who knows?" Nattie asked.

"So you're not preggers?" Lisa inquired. Celina shook her head.

"No. I'm pretty sure Mark's relieved about that."

"Never mind Mark, honey. How are you feeling about it?" Lisa asked. Celina contemplated her answer and shrugged.

"I go back and forth. Today I'm okay with it. Tonight I could be wishing I was and by dawn I could be wondering if the ship's sailed on me having kids." Lisa nodded. However, she was pretty sure that Celina understood that having a child was a real challenge in this industry. There weren't a lot of Divas who had kids. Most of them couldn't handle being away from the children for so long.

Outside of the doors, Mark and Glen were standing against the wall. Glen had went and retrieved some coffee, and Mark was grimacing with each sip. It tasted awful.

"I got some bad news," Glen replied. "I'm going to have to let you break this to Celina when you think she's up to hearing the news."

"Fuck." Mark sighed, shaking his head. It was always something. "What's going on?"

"They're calling Reid up to ECW."

"Oh, fuck me," Mark sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'll pass," Glen replied. Mark shook his head and Glen smirked. "What's worse is they're calling up that girlfriend of his, too. I don't know how Celina's going to handle this with everything going on and all, but..."

"I'll let her know when we get her settled, released, and everything's sorted out. Until then, nobody say a fucking word."


	81. Homecoming

**Eighty One**

The car pulled up the driveway towards the front of the house. Celina was sleeping in the passenger's side, her head leaned against the glass, vaguely reminding Mark of how she looked the night he had picked her up. He was thankful she was sleeping, but he knew that all the pills they had her taking was going to knock her out. Sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications were going to be keeping Celina nice and docile for the time being.

He sighed, stopping the car. Reid was coming up to the main roster, and within the next little while. He knew that they were anxious to bring in the son of the legendary Ric Flair. And he knew Vince didn't know about Celina dating Reid, but still; how in the hell was he going to tell Celina? Should he tell Celina? He was pretty sure that it was something to bring up to her, however, with everything going on with her he couldn't seem to find the right moment to tell her that Reid and his little harlot were coming to ECW. He shook his head. Hurricane Celina just couldn't catch a break. He looked over at her. She looked so peaceful while she slept. It almost broke his heart to have to wake her up.

He leaned his head in and gave her a kiss. It was soft, yet resonated with passion. He felt her stir under him and her hand slide around his neck. He could feel her finger stroking the back of his neck, making the hairs stand on end. She pulled back and opened her eyes. To him, they were the most beautiful eyes in the world, framed by long, blue-black lashes that normally didn't need the aide of makeup. "What was that for?" she asked, a soft smile crossing her features as she snapped him out of his random observation. He smiled at her.

"We're home," he told her, placing a kiss on her forehead for good measure. She smiled, relieved and comforted by Mark's house up ahead. The doctors had said she was suffering from a mental breakdown and had prescribed medication for her to take. The doctor warned Mark that there would be some moodswings, and that she'd be a little more restrained than he was used to, but in the long run it was going to make her feel better. He also recommended plenty of rest, and not allowing her to take part in anything. It was a real old-fashioned approach; Mark had been sarcastic and had asked whether or not he should lock her in a room until she really lost it. The doctor had been agitated and told him that he could always keep her at the hospital. Mark in response had bitten the inside of his cheek and contained himself, knowing how much Celina wanted to go home. He didn't want to treat her like an invalid; he knew she wouldn't stand for it, and if she did, it wouldn't last for very long.

She sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt. He placed an arm across her stomach, holding her in her seat. She stared at him. "Celina, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed, opening the car door. "I'm just a little tired."

"Well, why don't you go have a nap when we get in?" She groaned and got out of the car. He smiled; everything with her just felt so right. He shook his head and climbed out of the car, popping the trunk before slamming the door.

Celina went to grab her bags. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mark inquired, placing a hand on her wrist to stop her movements.

"I'm getting my bags so I can go in," she replied. Mark shook his head.

"No dice. I'll take the bag, you get yourself in the house and relax."

"I'm not an invalid, Mark. I can carry my own bags," she replied, her tone twinged with laughter. Mark felt relief. At least she wasn't ready to kick his ass just yet. He ignored her statement, slinging the bag over his shoulder and closing the trunk. He wrapped a free arm around her waist and led her towards the house.

She entered the house and instantly felt as though she were at home, even though her apartment was up in North Carolina. No matter what happened in her life, whenever she was with Mark, she just felt like she was at home. And she always felt that strange sense of comfort that only home could offer.

He kissed the side of her forehead, placing her bag down in the hallway. "Go get some sleep, beautiful."

"Come with me?" she asked. He looked down into her eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that mesmerized him every time he looked at her. She had her hands fastened to the front of his button down denim shirt, her forehead dropping to rest against his chest. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. They had a few hours before dinner, he was pretty sure that he could sneak a nap with her.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, snaking his long arms around her waist. He felt her head nod against his chest. "Well, I think I can do that for you." With a demonic smile, he lifted her up in his arms and proceeded to carry her to his room. In the last couple days, the two of them had become closer than ever, to an extent where they hated being away from each other. All she had to do was say his name and he was right there.

He laid her down on the bed and she curled up under the covers. Kicking off his boots, he climbed in beside her, pulling her into his arms as she fell asleep.

Mark woke up first, a couple hours later, and stared down to see her head resting on his chest. He smiled sadly. It had been a rough couple months for Celina. Even in her sleep, he could see the tension. He slowly disentangled himself from Celina and made his way downstairs. He thought he'd surprise her with dinner.

Celina moved her hand a short while later and her eyes snapped open in surprise as she felt it hit the pillow. Her eyes opened; Mark was gone. Where did he go?

She sat up in the bed and her eyes scanned the room for the alarm clock. It was quarter to seven. She couldn't remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was laying her head on Mark's chest.

Pulling back the thick green covers, she climbed out of bed and made her way down the stairs quietly. From the foot of the stairs she could see Mark's large frame in the kitchen, his back to her.

She entered the kitchen. "Mark?"

He jumped, smirking, turning to face her. "Hey," he replied, making his way over to her, knife in hand. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're awake. How did you sleep?"

"Fine," she answered. She looked at the counter, cluttered with vegetables, noodles and tomato paste. "What are you making?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs," he answered. "I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've cooked."

Celina laughed. "I didn't realize you knew how to cook."

"Fuck right off." They both laughed.

"Can I help?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Nah. Go have a seat and take care of yourself," he told her. "Dinner will be ready before you know it." She smiled and gave him a soft kiss before disappearing into the living room. Mark watched her retreating figure before turning his attention back to dinner.


	82. Guess Who's Coming to ECW?

**Eighty Two**

Mark and Celina were curled up on the couch. Celina had taken her medication with dinner and now they were curled up on the couch watching _Batman Begins._ Well, at least trying to. The two of them were in the throes of an argument over Bruce Wayne.

"Celina, would you just watch?" Mark groaned with a roll of his eyes. She curled her face into his chest.

"No - this shit is _not_ Batman."

"You're right. This is _before _he becomes Batman." She turned her head in time to see Bruce Wayne get hit with a stick. She stuck her face into a pout and burrowed her face back into his chest.

"Is his name Bruce Wayne?"

"Celina..."

"Is his name Bruce Wayne?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Then he's Batman, and he should be kicking ass, not getting his ass kicked."

"You're too fucking difficult, you know that?" he told her.

"You fucking love me."

"Yeah," he admitted, running a hand through her hair, kissing her head. "I also like having this time off with you."

"Same here," she said, nestling against him tighter. "I'm sure Glen's going stir-crazy though."

"Ah, he'll live," Mark replied with a laugh. "Look, Celina. There's something I have to tell you about before we go back."

"Can you tell me now?"

"Sure, since you're not watching the fucking movie." She hit him in the sternum and he groaned.

"Got fists like a fucking rock," he replied, feeling the twinge of pain that her hands had just leveled on him.

"Don't you forget it either," she said. She sat up and he pulled her onto his lap. "What's going on?"

He stared into her eyes with a sad smile, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. He sighed. "They're bringing Reid onto the main roster. ECW."

"Are you fucking serious?" Mark could see Celina's features drop, and she sighed in exhaustion, running a hand through her hair.

"It gets worse."

"They're bringing his whore along?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck me."

"Are you up to it?" She shot him a stare and broke into a fit of laughter, clutching him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and clutched her tightly.

"Sometimes you're just too much for me, Mark," she replied. She sighed, her laughter dying down. "Reid. Fuck. I should have known this would have happened inevitably."

"Do you want me to talk to Vince and get you back on SmackDown?"

"After everything with Michelle. I think I have a better shot at getting hit with a bolt of lightning." Mark laughed. She shook her head, allowing an exasperated sigh to escape her lips. "I appreciate the offer, Mark, but I'm a big girl. I'm going to have to face them sometime anyway."

"If he gives you problems, come to me or Ric, okay?" She didn't move her head from his shoulder. If it wasn't for the medication she was pumped with, he knew she would be having a major stress attack. He stroked her hair.

"How long have you known about this?"

"At the hospital," Mark told her. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you. Heaven knows you've been through a lot." He was silent for a second. "Celina, are you going to be okay?"

"I think so," she answered. "It's kind of weird...I know I'm upset...but I'm just not feeling it." Mark didn't like the fact that she was on the medications. But there wasn't a whole lot that could have been done. It was the only thing keeping her from having her moodswings and from collapsing under the stress that seemingly befell her at every turn.

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. After all these years, he still felt like he had to protect her from the horrors of the world. He worried about her all the time. They had been through so much together and every time something went wrong for Celina, he felt as though he had let her down, being unable to protect her. He had felt that way for years. And even now, with Michelle, Shelton, Chuck and now Reid, he hoped to hell that he could be there for her more than ever.


	83. Glen Comes to Visit

**Eighty Three**

Mark opened the front door and allowed Glen into the house. Celina was still sleeping, something that was concerning Mark. Since she had been put on the medications, she was sleeping more and more. And even when she was awake, she was exhausted. He'd watch her dozing off on the couch.

"Where's Celina?" Glen inquired, his eyes scanning over the house.

"Sleeping, as per normal lately," Mark replied. Glen shook his head. He and Mark were both apprehensive about Celina being medicated.

"How has she been otherwise?"

"Terrific," Mark replied sarcastically. "Even when she's awake, she's fucking exhausted, and...well, I know this is too much information, but she's not even enjoying sex anymore."

"Maybe it's you," Glen said in his typical deadpan manner.

"Glen, I'll kill you where you stand."

"I'm fucking around, Mark...evidently, you're not." Mark hit him hard in the arm and Glen laughed. "Chill out, man. It's not going to kill you to be celibate for a little while."

"I'm worried about her, Glen. She's gone from being a spitfire to just being a fucking ghost. I hate seeing her like this."

"How did she take Reid coming up?"

"As fine as she could be for a woman who's medicated out of her fucking gord." He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder how the fuck she inherited the luck she's gotten."

"I don't know, but it sure seems to suck, doesn't it?" Glen inquired. Mark and Glen retreated into the kitchen and he grabbed two bottles of beer.

"If she weren't medicated, I'll bet you she'd be having the biggest nervous breakdown," Mark replied, handing Glen a beer. "So what's the word back at work?"

"Everything's fine. Depending on the issue that comes up with Melissa and Reid, they're going to just ship her to Raw."

"What?"

"Take it easy, Mark. Look, since Hunter's on SmackDown, apparently there's some talk about taking you over to Raw. You know, separate the political heavyweights, so to speak."

"I've been on SmackDown since 2002," Mark sputtered. "What the fuck?"

"Hey, as your friend, seriously - it'd be great to have you back on Raw," he told Mark, sipping his beer. "And, as for the Sedated Spitfire upstairs...she could use to be away from Michelle and away from Reid and away from Melissa. This could be good for the two of you. Give me the word and I'll pitch the idea to Vince, okay?"

"Sure, Glen," Mark replied, taking a sip of beer.

"What's going on, Mark? Normally you're a little more jovial."

Mark sighed. "I just hate seeing Celina like this, Glen. It's not just the lack of sex...it's just...there's no real fight in her anymore. It just bugs me, that's all." His green eyes turned towards the window as he sipped on his beer. "I would love to get her off of that shit and help her find different alternatives to deal with the bullshit. Medicating her isn't the answer if it's fucking with her like this."

"Then maybe that's the answer," Glen told him in total agreement. "If she's sleeping at three o'clock in the afternoon, there's a problem here. Look into stress relief. That's probably what the issue is. You have to think about how overwhelming this entire situation is for her.

"She catches her boyfriend cheating on her and now they're both on the main roster. In that time, she's managed to have a rebound relationship, managed to inadvertantly break up your relationship...do you ever stop to think that maybe she holds herself responsible for what happened between you and Michelle?"

Mark scoffed. "Please." He took a sip of beer. "Michelle McCool was what happened between her and I. The fact she lied about a pregnancy and went out of her way to make Celina feel like a nuisance isn't Celina's fault."

"Have you ever told her that?"

Mark clamped his mouth shut. Glen smirked, sipping his beer. "You can really be a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?"

"It's what I'm good at," Glen retorted. "I'm dead serious though. If you're so concerned, maybe you guys can sign up for couples yoga or something. I hear DDP teaches a class..."

"Fuck right off, Jacobs," Mark growled. Glen smirked.

"What's the commotion?"

They turned their heads to see Celina, wearing an Original Deadman T-shirt that came down to an inch or two above the knees. Her hair was tousled, and she was still trying to get the remnants of sleep out of her eyes. Glen smiled.

"Sleeping Beauty awakens."

She smiled, making her way over to the table and sitting down on Mark's lap. "If I didn't know any better, Glen, I'd say you're trying to flatter me." She tilted her head and gave Mark a soft kiss. At the moment, he wished Glen wasn't around because she looked so hot in his old T-shirt. She turned to Glen and smiled. "How's life on the Raw side?"

"Great. You catch me going batshit on TV?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a smile. "So who are you talking about?"

"Beats the hell out of me. Creative hasn't even told me yet." Celina laughed. "In my mind, though, I'm worried about you."

"Aw, Glen, you're too sweet."

"Yeah...so sweet I think I'm getting diabetes," Mark groaned. Celina laughed.

"Does he ever tell you stuff like this?" Glen asked Celina, motioning incredulously at the big man. Celina smirked.

"You don't want to know half the things he tells me," she said. Mark reddened and Glen burst into fits of laughter. She shook her head and stood to her feet. "Glen, did you want to stay for dinner?"

"Sure. What's happening?"

"I'm going to light up the grill and Celina is going to relax." Celina rolled her eyes.

"I love you to death, Mark, but I'm not an invalid by any stretch."

"Yeah, well, you're still going to relax." He stood, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Glen, did you want another beer?"

"Sure."

"Can I have one?"

"Not with your meds." He saw the pout crawl across her face. "Do you want a root beer?"

"No," she stated, irritated. "Root beer tastes like root."

"What?" Glen and Mark started laughing. Root beer was usually a drink Celina tolerated, but he understood she was trying to make a point. She wanted a drink with the boys and she couldn't. Her medication specifically said no alcohol whatsoever and he wanted to keep it that way. Better to be safe than sorry, he had assumed. Everything had been so stressful with Celina, trying to keep her comfortable and happy, that he didn't want anything to go wrong.


	84. Late Night Chatter

**Eighty Four**

Mark put Glen to sleep in the guest room, and made his way upstairs to the bedroom. Celina was already upstairs, nestled under the blankets, clutching the blanket to her chest tightly. She wasn't asleep; just staring at the wall ahead of her as she lay on her side. She didn't even acknowledge Mark's presence.

He went and took a quick shower and changed into a pair of drawstring pajama pants and made his way out into the bedroom area. She was still laying, silent, in the dark. He knew she wasn't asleep. He peeled back the blankets and got under the blankets with her, grabbing her and pulling her onto his chest. He kind of half figured she'd resist, but when her arm draped around his abdomen and he felt her head nestle on him, he knew everything was okay.

These were the moments he loved with her. Just the simplistic moments where he lay in bed with her in the dark and just talked, or the moments where they'd nestle up on the couch and watch TV. Everything with Celina just felt so simple, and that was something he could appreciate giving the hectic schedule he'd been living for the last twenty-something years.

"I know you're awake, Celina," he rumbled. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." He stroked her hair and her eyes closed. She was relaxed.

"I want you to start cutting back on those pills," he told her. "Until you quit taking them all together. Celina...I don't think I can handle seeing you like this. And I don't think you want to be walking around like a zombie all the time."

"Mark..."

"Look, we'll look at other options...meditation, relaxation, whatever. But Celina, you and I both know that you can't keep living like this. I haven't seen a flash of emotion out of you in three weeks...it's like you're fucking dead."

"Ironic I'm dating the Deadman, huh?"

"Celina..."

"I know, I know," she answered flatly. "Mark, what do you want me to do here? This is what the doctors said I have to do."

"Celina, in the morning I'm taking you for a second opinion," he said, rolling onto his side to face her. "Celina, I love you, and I can't keep seeing you like this."

She smiled, her hand reaching out to touch his face. "I love you, too. And if this is that important to you, then we'll figure something else out. I don't think I can go around feeling like this much longer."

He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "Good. Now, tomorrow while we're taking care of you, I'm going to call Vince and see what's happening. There's talk of moving me to Raw."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know," he answered with a smile, kissing her forehead as he drew her close. "I wouldn't mind the change of pace though. Could use some new guys to beat on." She nestled her head into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. "I want to talk to Vince about moving you with us. With Reid and Melissa going to ECW, I don't know if I want you there alone."

"Just let Vince decide what he wants," Celina replied. "I don't want to be a nuisance. As it is, I'm sure he's pissed about the Michelle thing and if he finds out I dated Reid, and that he was fucking Melissa while with me, it's just going to get complicated and stupid."

He squeezed her tightly. "Fine, Celina, but the instant there's trouble, I want you to come to me. Raw is taping with ECW now, so there's no reason not to say anything to me about it, okay?"

"You're not on Raw yet. There's a good chance it's just speculation."

"Then talk to Glen. We both have your back." She nodded. "Man, you still have the shittiest luck of anyone I've ever known."

"Maybe it's you. Maybe you're a fucking omen." He laughed.

"Always my fault, huh?"

"Yep," she replied with a yawn.

"Get some sleep."

"You're not the boss of me," she retorted as another yawn took over her. He rolled his eyes, but she nestled against him and fell asleep nonetheless. Tomorrow he assured himself that he would start looking into different meditation classes. Get her to another doctor and wean her off the medications. He didn't care what the other doctor thought; he wanted the old Celina back.


	85. It's Me, It's Me, It's DDP

**Eighty-Five**

"I can't believe I fucking let you guys talk me into this!"

"Mark, would you keep your voice down?" Sara shook her head, unable to hide the embarassment from her voice. "Seriously, Celina, I thought you told him to have an open mind."

"I can tell him, but Jesus, Sara, a girl can only do so much," Celina replied. They were standing in the middle of a studio. Mark was trying hard to swallow his blind rage, while Sara and Celina tried to stifle the laughter that threatened to overtake them.

"Fucking women," Mark murmured. He looked over to see a young woman eyeing him, irritated. He huffed and fumed, hands on his hips as Sara offered the young woman an apology.

"Forgive Mark," she replied, her tone syrupy sweet. "He's a tad slight rough around the edges."

"I'll show you rough around the edges," he murmured under his breath, irritated. Sara laughed.

"I was married to you, Mark. There isn't a whole hell of a lot that scares me anymore." Celina laughed. More and more, Celina and Sara were getting along. Better than what she had been with Michelle. Sara was an opinionated woman, and her feelings about Michelle McCool echoed Celina's.

"Out of all the classes to drag me to, you had to drag me to one led by this freaking tool."

"Mark, would you just shut up and suck it up?" Celina murmured under her breath. He shot her a look and she flashed him a smile. There wasn't a whole lot he could do to get out of it.

Diamond Dallas Page, former WWE and WCW star, made his way into the room. "All right, everyone," he said, clapping his hands together. "Glad you all made it." He looked over at Mark. "Mark, Sara, nice to see you guys."

"Can we just get on with it?" Mark asked impatiently. Celina and Sara exchanged glances before looking away with a bite of their lower lip.

"Great. We have somebody excited about the class," he said to everyone. Mark spotted a couple guys who were grumbling Mark's sentiments, and a few who were even there without their wives dragging them. Mark took a deep breath and began to do yoga with his ex-wife and his girlfriend, grumbling the entire time.

After the class, Mark and the girls went to meet Glen for dinner. He smirked when he saw Mark stalk in, irritated. He could also tell his hip was bothering him.

"How was yoga, Mark?" Glen asked with a chuckle.

"Shut the fuck up, Glen," he murmured, sitting down.

"My...what hostility," Glen teased. "Inhale, Mark...hold it...then ex...ow! Fuck!"

"Mark," Celina and Sara said in unison, their tones stern. "Apologize."

"Yeah, man," Glen said, rubbing his shin. "That shit was uncalled for? Why are you so angry?" Celina wanted to laugh at the exchange, but she knew laughing would only encourage Mark.

"Glen, you're a dick."

"I don't think I'm getting that apology," Glen said, his tone forlorn. Sara and Celina shook their heads. Mark just grumbled something inaudible and ordered a beer. His hip hurt, he hated Page's stupid smile, he hated yoga and he hated the fact that both Celina and Sara had talked him into doing this shit. He felt like a big awkward idiot trying to maneuver and stretch. When Page had instructed them to touch their legs over their head to the floor above, he had said fuck it and had stalked out. Celina and Sara had been unable to contain their laughter, breaking into fits of uncontrollable giggles as they did the stretches.

"Mark, what was your favorite position?" Celina asked. Glen just about choked on his water and Sara began to laugh.

"The open door...oh, and the closing door," he grumbled as the waitress handed him a beer. The girls laughed.

"Yoga not your thing, Mark?" Glen asked. Mark shot him a glare.

"Only damn reason I went is because of these fucking vixens here," he huffed. "'Come on, Mark. Do it for us. Come on, Mark. What's the harm?' What's the harm? I feel fucking emasculated!" Glen laughed. "I'm sorry, but my legs aren't meant to stretch back that far, I don't give a fuck what anyone else says. And I swear to God, I hoped I'd never have to see that idiot smiling again. I see it one more time, and I'm going to burn out his fucking lights."

"Well, aren't you the shining beacon of eternal happiness," Celina replied cheerfully. Mark shot her a look.

"Fuck right off." She laughed. "Out of all the fucking instructors, I have to get fucking Diamond Dallas Page."

"That was a coincidence," Celina said.

"Bullshit."

"I set it up," Sara replied with a smile. "I deal with him on yoga DVDs all the time."

"Women...vengeful," he commented, irritated, ordering another beer. As irritated as he was though with the entire afternoon, he had to admit that he was happy enough that he had the kind of life where he could enjoy these moments with Sara and Celina. How many men could say that they were completely amicable with their exes?

They ordered lunch and began to talk about the plans. At the moment, Edge and Vickie Guerrero were having marital problems, which was going to lead to Mark being reinstated as an attempt for Vickie to teach Edge a lesson. Mark had to admit that he was thankful to come back. He loved the time with Celina, but he was going stir-crazy...which was probably the entire reason that he hadn't retired yet.

He knew that Celina was going to have to face up to Michelle pretty soon, and he knew better than to expect Celina to apolgize to Michelle over a rivalry that was epic between the duo. Even in Vince's constant frustration, he had to admit that the back and forth rivalry that Celina and Michelle had was something that was of Trish and Lita proportions, with reality thrown in.

"I smell smoke," Celina commented. Mark's eyes snapped up to hers.

"What?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh." His tone was a little sheepish. "Nothing." Celina didn't buy it, but she knew better than to pry with Sara and Glen around. She just rested a comforting hand on his knee as they continued to chatter and eat.


	86. Right Where We Left Off

**Eighty-Six**

Celina and Mark walked into the arena hand in hand. It felt so strange to be back amongst the familiar faces, but Celina was thankful to be there. Triple H was standing in the back, talking to Ken Kennedy about old Ric Flair stories. Mark and Celina stopped.

Paul turned to Celina. "Hey, welcome back. How are you holding up, kid?"

"I'm okay, Hunter," she told him. The truth was, she felt better than she had in ages. She was more or less off of the medication and she was finding things were slowly but surely falling back to normal. "Feeling better than I have in months."

"Glad to hear it. Celina, you've met Ken, right?"

"Ages ago," she replied, shaking his hand. "Great to see you again."

"Looking terrific, as usual," Ken replied with a smile, before flashing a concerned gaze at Mark, who was talking to Hunter about the upcoming pay-per-view.

"Don't worry about him," she replied with a warm smile. "He's harmless..." Ken watched as her face abruptly fell.

He turned to see Michelle McCool, with a noseplate on her nose, walking down the hallway with Lena Yada and Maryse Oullet. They were all dressed in their ring gear, except for Michelle, who wore a black tube top and black bell bottoms, her hair in a ponytail. The bruising around her eyes was still visible, but it wasn't half as bad as it was the night she was taken to the hospital. It had only been about a month and a half. Celina didn't expect her to heal so quickly considering she had major surgery to fix the bone splinter.

She stopped when she saw Celina. Mark put his hand out to touch Celina, but she held up an arm, motioning that she was fine. She wasn't looking for a confrontation. Even if it was with Michelle. She half expected to find a modicum of fear in Michelle's eyes for the beating that she had given her, but wasn't all that surprised to see that same distasteful gleam in her eye that Michelle had always had for her.

"Oh, look, girls," Michelle said, her tone loud enough to draw attention. "It's the fucking basketcase. Off your meds long enough to function here, Celina?"

Hunter, Mark and Ken all exchanged looks. Was Michelle suicidal or just stupid? "Is this bitch crazy?" Ken mouthed to Mark, who only solemnly nodded.

"Right where we left off, huh, McCool?" Celina asked. "Then I guess I'll pick up right where I left off." Before anyone could do anything, Celina had grabbed Michelle's faceplate, pulling it out before snapping it into Michelle's face. Michelle's eyes instantly watered as Paul and Ken hollered and hooted. "I'll show you a fucking basketcase," Celina murmured petulantly as Michelle stalked off, in tears, with Maryse and Lena shooting her murderous glares. "What a bitch," Celina said, loudly. Michelle stopped for a second, but continued to walk. She shook her head. "Look, guys, I'm going to go get changed for the night." She got on her tip toes and Mark gave her a kiss. "I'll meet you at the Gorilla." She turned and made her way down the hallway. Turning the corner, she ran into Reid Fliehr.

"Fuck." She stopped and turned away, squaring her shoulders, hoping he hadn't noticed her.

"Celina."

"Fuck." Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She just decided to walk away from another confrontation, but he grabbed her.

"Don't walk away from me. What are you doing here? Word was you weren't supposed to be back for months."

"Get your hands off of me, Reid."

"What, I'm supposed to just let you walk? That's what you're good at, isn't it? No fucking chance to explain anything. Just walk in, drop everything and fuck off. That's your way, isn't it?"

"REID, GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME!" she screamed, drawing attention. He let go of her as though her skin were on fire. She glared at him. "How dare you turn anything around on me when you were the one fucking around. I'm sorry I wasn't going to put up with that. Out of all the people, too, you had to pick one who looked like she was born with her face caught in a car compactor."

"Oh, for fuck's sakes," Reid murmured under his breath. "Celina, you're being dramatic."

"No, Reid. I was trying to avoid confrontation. Instead, you're the one grabbing at me and telling me how I do nothing but run from ignorant assholes like you."

He recoiled as though she had slapped him. "You're such a bitch, Celina," he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

"Is there a problem here?"

Celina smiled at Reid, the most vicious smile she could muster. "Yeah, Mark," she said without turning around. "I was on my way to the locker room when this cockshiner here decided to grab me."

Reid noticed the way Mark held her shoulder, protectively. "Did he hurt you?"

"That's debatable," she said. "If you want to hurt him though, I wouldn't object." With that, she pushed past Reid roughly and stormed into the Divas locker room. Reid and Mark stared each other down.

"You're the new fling, huh?" Reid said with a sigh. His father was good friends with this guy, but he wasn't about to let Mark get into his head over Celina. "Good luck with that basketcase."

Mark couldn't help it; he was so sick of hearing the words "Celina" and "basketcase" in the same sentence. He swung, his fist connecting into Reid's jaw, his black leather trenchcoat flying with the force and the movement of his shot. Reid hit the ground and Mark stood, momentarily stunned. He felt like Celina for a second and realized that the euphoric feeling that washed over him must have been what Celina had felt like the first time she had leveled Michelle. He smirked.

"Unless you want some more of what you just got, keep running your damn mouth," Mark growled. Reid made his way to his feet and scampered off.

"Belting my kids around, are we?"

Mark turned around, sheepish, to see Ric standing behind him. Mark tried to shake off the pain in his hand. "Sorry, Ric. I didn't mean to...it just happened. With all due respect, it felt damn good though."

Ric laughed. "I appreciate your honesty. I heard what he said about Celina anyway. Beth and I didn't raise him to talk like that about a woman."

"I'm sure you didn't raise him to cheat on them either."

Ric nodded; he understood the shot Mark was taking and it was justified. Reid's single event had turned Mark's entire life upside down. "You meet this Melissa yet?"

"Majestic? Yeah. She's something else," he said. "But Reid seems happy. I guess that's all that matters." Ric sighed. "I've heard the whispers around here, champ. I got to know - Celina's breakdown - did it have anything to do with my son?"

"Probably," Mark replied. "But there's a lot more to it than just Reid. I mean, she's had everything with Michelle, that's enough to drive anyone into an asylum."

"Does she hate me?" Ric asked. Mark stared at him, incredulous.

"Who could hate the Nature Boy?" he asked. "Come on, man, what gives you that idea?"

"She hasn't spoken to me since she started here."

"Really?"

"Do you think she hates me because of Reid?"

"Nah. I'll talk to her. I'm pretty sure you're safe. I'm just going to check up on her. She looked pretty upset. Again, Naitch, I'm sorry I belted your kid."

"Forgiven," Ric told him with a smile. Mark grinned and opened the door to the Divas locker room. Celina was dressed in a pair of black leather pants and a red top that tied at the bosom. She was brushing her hair in the mirror.

"Everything all right?"

"You tell me." She rolled her eyes and placed the brush down, turning to him.

"What's going on?"

"Do you hate Ric?"

She blinked. "That was random. Why would you think that?"

"I don't think it. He thinks it. He says you haven't said two words to him since you started."

"What am I supposed to say, Mark? Anyways, it's a stupid situation. I'd only expect him to side with his kid."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. He just caught me busting his kid's ass and I got off with a pass."

"Isn't he sweet?"

"Celina." His tone left no room for argument. "Just go talk to him."

'And what do I say?"

He leaned in and gave her a slow, passionate kiss. He pulled back. "Don't worry about what you've got to say. Just go with the moment." She smiled, standing to her feet, running a hand through his hair before disappearing out of the door. He sighed; everything she did captivated him. He wasn't used to the feeling.


	87. The Principal's Office

**Eighty-Seven**

Shane McMahon walked into his father's office and was greeted with a comical sight. He cocked a quizzical eyebrow. Sitting side by side, heads down, staring at their hands were Celina and Mark. He sighed; he knew by the looks on their downcasted faces that this wasn't exactly a social call that his father had beckoned them for. He decided to lighten the mood. He made his way over to the front of the desk and sighed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Your name Randy Orton?" he asked Celina. She looked up, surprised.

"No. Why?"

"Cause that's usually his spot." Mark chuckled and Celina reddened. "All right, you two. What have you done to be dragged into the principal's office?"

"I snapped Michelle's noseplate," Celina confessed. Shane smirked.

"I punched Reid Fliehr in his arrogant little face," Mark mumbled. Shane laughed. This truly was a sight to behold. He wished he had a camera at the moment to get the picture of Celina and Mark looking like two remorseful students. Of course, Shane knew that the remorseful part didn't apply. It was just the way it went when a Superstar was beckoned into the office. They always looked sorry, even though their minds justified their actions. He saw it all the time with Randy Orton, who would hang his head and mumble an apology and assure Vince that he respected the business.

"Now why did you guys go and do that?" Shane asked as the door opened and Vince trudged in.

"She called me a basketcase," Celina replied. She knew how stupid it sounded.

"Why did you even talk to her, Celina?"

"I tried to ignore her. Paul, Ken and Mark can tell you I was going to just ignore her. She mouthed off, I set her straight."

"Lena and Maryse said you attacked her," Vince replied, taking his place beside Shane. "I'd take Mark's word, but since you two are kind of together, I can't be one to believe it."

"Then talk to Paul. Talk to Ken. Mr. McMahon, I was honestly looking to ignore the little bitch." Vince wasn't sure whether or not to believe her, but her tone sounded sincere.

"Okay, Celina. Just use better judgment next time...although the idea of snapping her noseplate is pretty funny." She stared up at him, surprised, but noticed the mischevious sparkle in the eyes of the McMahon boys. "I'll tell you, Celina, if I was your age and not in control of a multibillion dollar corporation...I'd be in that seat just like you. Go on, get ready for your night." She nodded and stood, fighting the urge to laugh at Vince's honesty. The door closed and the guys were silent for a minute.

"Why'd you punch Ric's kid?" Vince asked, his tone devoid of energy. Sometimes he swore the backstage area was more like a daycare center.

Mark smirked. "He was mouthy, Vince. No more, no less. I may have overreacted..."

"May have?" Vince inquired. "The kid is set to debut tonight and his jaw is fucking bruised!" Mark smiled. "You find this funny, don't you?"

"Look - he was harassing Celina, I stepped in, he got mouthy, I swung, he fell. No more, no less."

"Harassing Celina? What for?"

"She used to date the little prick. That Majestic thing you hired was fucking around with Reid while he was dating Celina. She caught them."

"Fuck me," Vince murmured, staring up at the ceiling of his makeshift office. "Where the fuck do I find these people?"

"I don't know, Vince."

"Is Celina looking to create havoc here, Mark? Be honest with me here."

"No," Mark answered honestly. "Honestly, Vince, she was looking to avoid Michelle, but Michelle was in her ear, making cracks about her being off her meds, calling her a basketcase.

"Look, I'd tell you I'm sorry for belting Reid, but let's be honest, Vince, you know I'm not sorry. Frankly, the kid was mouthy, and you and I are from a different generation. If you were in my place, you would have punched his teeth out and would have enjoyed the feeling."

Vince nodded; Mark was hardly ever in trouble, but the man was unapologetic about anything he did in the backstage area. It was a trait that Vince admired in Mark, and one of the top reasons why he was around for as long as he was. The fact that he drew a lot of money was a nice bonus, but the fact that he kept the locker room in line with JBL said a lot, too.

"Mark, just...if you really need to hit one of the guys, could you do it in a spot where it won't be visible on camera?" Vince asked. "How the hell do we explain a guy on his first night getting his face cracked?"

"Let creative deal with it," Mark replied, standing. "I'm going to go check on Celina. She feels pretty terrible about creating so much trouble her first night back. Shane - we doing the next Lesnar fight next month?"

"You know it," he told him.

"Vince." Vince nodded and Mark left the room. Vince and Shane stood, father and son, staring at the door.

"What are you thinking, Shane-O?" Vince asked.

"I think Michelle's a witch." Vince nodded.

"Agreed. As far as I'm concerned, if creative didn't love her so much, she would have been out when she pulled that pregnancy bullshit." Shane turned as his father made his way to his desk and sat down in a chair.

"What is her appeal exactly?"  
"I think they want another Torrie or some shit. It was why they talked me into resigning her after that whole Diva Search, personal trainer shit," Vince murmured. "Over thirty years in this business and people still figure they know more than me." Shane nodded; creative was frustrating. Nobody knew that better than him. He would rather let his sister Stephanie deal with that. "I'm telling you, most of these women, Shane...fucking worthless. I have to wonder why I hire them sometimes."

"You're looking for another Sherri, another Trish, Lita, Molly," Shane reminded him. Vince nodded.

"Good luck in these fucking bikini models." He looked at Shane. "Don't get me wrong - great to look at and I'm sure they've got fans, but...I don't know. I guess since all the top girls left so quickly, I feel like I'm diluting the talent pool." Shane laughed and he and his father began to go over the plans for the night.


	88. Ric

**Eighty Eight**

"Celina, Celina, wait!"

Celina stopped and turned to see Ric Flair making his way towards her. She sighed. She didn't know how awkward this was going to be. It felt awkward to her to talk to him knowing that he was Reid's father.

"Look, Ric, I didn't really think Mark was going to deck him..."

"Don't worry about that. Reid's a big boy. He has to take whatever he dishes out. Are you okay? I noticed he wasn't being all that nice to you earlier."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Look, Ric, Mark was telling me that you said that you think I hate you. Why...how can you even think that?"

"Because you started here all these months ago and you seem to not want to talk to me," he told her. "I know I'm Reid's dad, but you're probably the best thing Reid had going for him. Beth, Tiff and I were heartbroken to hear you guys had broken up."

"Did he tell you why?" she asked. Ric nodded.

"So how long have you known Mark for?"

"Since I was thirteen. It's complicated," she replied. "Story of my life."

"Amen," Ric said with a laugh. "Mark's a cool guy. One of the greats."

"I'm with you there," she agreed, leaning against a nearby trunk. "I couldn't thank him enough for everything he's ever done for me."

"How are things with Shelton Benjamin?"

"They're not." Ric got the point. Ric looked past Celina and noticed a technician motioning him to come over.

"Don't be a stranger, Celina. You may not be dating Reid anymore, but we all still love you to death."

"Thank you, Ric," she replied, her tone sincere. "It means a lot to hear that."

"I have to run though, get back to Steamboat. Keep your head up, beautiful...and keep that Deadman of yours in line." She laughed and he took off down the hallway. She sighed, her shoulders slouching. _That wasn't so bad,_ she thought to herself.

"Everything okay?"

She turned to see Mark standing behind her. She smiled. "They must have torn you a new one if you're just finding me now."

"Nah. Believe it or not, I have a lot of stroke here," he said with a smile. She smiled and gave him a hug. He cocked an eyebrow. "What's this for?"

"For everything," she murmured into his chest. "I really don't know what I would have done without you."

"Well, um, thanks," he said with a deep chuckle. "But I seriously have to get out to the ring. I'm supposed to be scaring the hell out of Vickie Guerrero tonight. You gonna stay out of trouble back here?"

"I promise I'll be good," she replied. She looked so innocent when she said it that Mark had to laugh.

"If you're good tonight, I might just have to do something for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he said with a smirk, giving her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later tonight." She nodded, and watched him disappear down the hallway. She sighed, resting against the trunk.

"Penny for your thoughts, gorgeous."

She jumped at the voice and turned to see Ken Kennedy behind her, chewing on a piece of gum. He was dressed in a pair of black pants and a black zip-up sleeveless top with his logo emblazened on it. She smiled and gave him a hug. "Jesus, Kennedy, you startled me!"

"Sorry. Figured a loudmouth like me couldn't go unnoticed," he teased. She laughed. "I heard Mark dropped Flair's boy."

"You heard right," she answered with a sigh. "Sometimes I think everything I touch in his life turns upside down." Ken laughed.

"It sure seems like it, don't it?" he asked. He shook his head. "Don't think of it like that. He loves you."

"I know he does," Celina replied with a smile. "But I hate creating so much chaos for him."

"I'm sure Mark doesn't mind. I'm also very sure he doesn't think of you as a hurricane," he teased. He shook his head. "You just have to quit being so hard on yourself. Shane, Vince, Paul, everyone that matters know that the people around you cause the problems. Not you. So you gotta quit apologizing for everything."

She nodded. "You're going to make a woman really lucky one day, Kennedy."

"Well, thanks, Celina. That means a lot. Now, tonight, Shane, Paul and I are going drinking. You and Mark should come out."

"That's a great offer and all, Kennedy, but Mark promised me a night for the two of us." She smiled. "How about you ask Nattie? Everyone's bailed out on her tonight, and I'm sure she could use a nice night out." Ken nodded.

"I could do that for her," he said with a smile. She flashed him a smile of gratitude. It was no secret around the locker room that Nattie had a small crush on Ken.

"Thanks, Ken," she replied. "Nattie's a fun girl."

"I don't doubt that if she can roll with you." Ken laughed. "Anyways, I'm going to go track her down. I'll talk to you soon. Keep your head up."

"Thanks, Ken. Have a good night." With that, Ken took off down the hallway, and Celina decided to wait in Mark's locker room until he was finished so she could avoid everyone else.


	89. Burned

_**A.N.: Hey...sorry, I meant to get a few posts yesterday, but I spent the day dealing with a UPS mixup. My WWE Spinner belt came in yesterday afternoon. Thanks to everyone for making this the first story to hit 200 reviews. It means a whole hell of a lot to me because I didn't think this story would get that many. So thank you so much. :D. **_

**Eighty-Nine**

Celina knew better than to wake Mark up first thing in the morning. With a soft groan and a stretch, her eyes focused on the hotel room. Mark was passed out, arm dangling over the edge, snoring. She pulled the covers back slowly and got out of bed. She gathered some clothing and disappeared into the bathroom, changing into a white T-shirt and blue jeans. She brushed her hair quickly and brushed her teeth, applying some clear gloss to her lips before disappearing from the bathroom.

"Good morning, Celina."

She turned to see Randy and Kennedy behind her. The sling was off of Randy's arm, and he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black Affliction shirt. Ken was in blue jeans and a button down white shirt. "Where's Deadman?" Orton asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Dead to the world," she replied.

"Well, we're heading down to breakfast," he said. "Care to join us?"

"Sure," she replied. "I was just going to head down by myself anyways." She fell into step with Randy Orton and Mr. Kennedy.

"We're going to be joining Hunter and Dave," Randy replied. She smiled. She liked Hunter. She knew he had a bit of a reputation in the locker room, but she liked him well enough.

"So Shane was saying you and Mark are going to Brock's next fight," Randy replied. She nodded.

"Yeah. Shane and Mark love dragging me to UFC fights."

"I got invited to go, too," Randy replied. "I thought it'd be awesome if we all went together."

"I think it would be," she replied. She looked over at Ken. "You should come out, too. Anyway, that reminds me. How was last night with Nattie?"

"Awesome. She can hold her liquor like she's one of the guys," he said with a laugh. "She knocked back a lot of tequila." They all laughed. "She was holding up Santino Marella at the end of the night." They laughed.

"Beth wasn't around?"

"No. Beth called it a night pretty early. She's got signings like crazy today anyways. I was waiting for Santino to get so drunk, he'd pass out." Ken had a sinister smirk on his face.

"I'd be right there waxing that goddamn unibrow," Celina replied. They all laughed as they filed into the elevator.

In the hotel room, Mark groaned as he awakened. His knee was a little sore from doing a spot with Edge the night before. He sighed, his hand reaching over for Celina only to find an empty bed. He sighed. "Must have gone to breakfast with the guys." He slowly sat up and got out of bed. He was at least glad she had some friends in the locker room. Randy Orton and Kennedy looked after Celina like she was a little sister. Marriage and fatherhood had really straightened Orton out, and for that, Mark was thankful. He though he and the Legend Killer had some great matches together, but for awhile, he wondered if Orton was going to be on the chopping block for his behavior.

He pulled on a pair of black jeans and an Original Deadman T-shirt and grumbled. He might as well go join the group for breakfast.

Downstairs, Celina and the guys were talking about the night before with Kennedy, Nattie and a few of the other guys when Randy spotted Mark. "The Deadman walks." Celina cocked an eyebrow and Randy nodded towards Mark. Celina turned her head and flashed him a smile. He lightened up his expression and made his way over to the table. Her face burrowed in concern. His knee didn't look very good this morning.

He sat down. "Morning, Deadman. You look especially cheerful this morning."

"Fuck off, Paul," Mark grumbled.

"Mark, you all right?" Celina asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Knee's just a tad sore. I didn't land that Spear right last night." He sighed and offered a murmur of thanks as the waitress handed him a cup of black coffee. He sipped it.

"Oh, God..." Randy murmured. "I could have gone all morning without seeing her."

"Who?" Celina turned her head and saw Michelle McCool enter with Shelton and Palumbo. "Oh, Sisqo and Slash at the helm, no less." She sighed as Michelle caught eye contact with her. Then Celina noticed an empty table behind her. "Oh, fuck me sideways..." she murmured. Randy cocked an eyebrow and Ken hit him in the arm to shut up any comment the man may have made. Then Randy noticed the table.

"Celina, switch me spots," Randy replied. "Fucked if she's going to try anything this morning." Celina nodded and stood, switching spots with Randy. Dave moved his chair a couple inches away to give Celina more room. The trio took their seat, Michelle shooting Celina a death stare. Celina smiled and waved, taking a sip of her coffee. Michelle went to say something, but Shelton motioned for her to just sit down and stay quiet. He shot Celina a look of warning, but she just waved to him, too. Randy turned and flashed them a smile and the guys sat down. They knew better than to fuck with a top guy like Randy Orton.

"So, how is it working with Cody and Ted?" Mark asked, sipping his coffee.

"Great. They're smart kids. Just think, Mark, when you finally opt to step aside, we're the guys who are going to take over." Mark groaned. "I resent that." The table erupted in fits of laughter while the waitress took everyone's order. Randy had beckoned the waitress over and whispered something to her and she nodded, flashing him a flirtatious smile before disappearing.

"Jesus, Randy, you're married!" Celina replied with a shake of her head.

"I know I am," he replied. "I still got it though." Kennedy groaned and Dave shook his head. Randy laughed.

"What did you whisper to the waitress, Randy? Should we be reporting this to Samantha?" Dave asked with a cocked eyebrow. Randy motioned to Michelle's table with his head and Celina's mouth formed a silent "Oh". Mark groaned. Sometimes, before he repented to Samantha, the old hints of the "Legend Killer" shone through. And it usually meant a trip to Vince's office.

"Orton..."

"Chill, Mark. It's good." He took a sip of orange juice, looking at the back of Michelle's head and smirking. "You gotta learn how to relax sometime, Old Man."

"Deadman," Mark growled into his coffee. Celina put a reassuring hand on his knee, but laughed with the rest of the guys. She couldn't help but feel something heavy was about to happen.

"What the fuck is this?"

They looked up and Randy's eyes went to the plate as he snickered. She looked up at the waitress. "Do you think this is funny?"

Randy snickered as Kennedy, Celina and Mark watched the scene in curiosity and amusement. She wheeled around and her eyes blazed at Celina. She jumped out of her chair and began to charge before Palumbo or Shelton could catch her. She had her drink in her hand. Before Shelton could catch her, she covered Celina in scalding coffee. Celina jumped, shouting out. The McMahons were at a far table and Shane was up in a flash, running through the stunned restaurant to get to Celina, who was trying to get the scalding coffee out of her eyes. The waitress was horrified.

"The fuck was that for, McCool?" Shane snarled. Michelle turned and saw Stephanie and Vince at the table and she knew she was finished.

"Fucking bitch had the waitress send me fucking Midol!" she raged. Randy started laughing, Mark was taking Celina towards the nearest bathroom to try and get some cold water on her.

"This man was the one who told me to send it to you," the waitress replied, pointing to Randy. "He said you were sore."

She turned to Randy. "You're a fucking animal!" she raged.

"Calm down, tiger. You're in enough trouble as it is," Kennedy snarled. She stared at him. Ken was usually so laidback, but the look in his eyes told her to just quit while she was ahead. She pushed Shane out of the way and stormed off. Shane shook his head.

"Randy, you shouldn't have done that."

"She needs it," he insisted. "She's a bitch."

Shane sighed. "I'm going to go check on Celina. We're probably going to have to take her to the hospital. Fuck," he sighed under his breath, disappearing towards the back area. The guys sat down and glared daggers at Shelton and Chuck, who were sipping coffee in an awkward silence.


	90. Caring for Celina

**Ninety**

Celina was sobbing uncontrollably as they tried to get the burning feeling in her eyes to subside. She wanted to panic, but Mark's hands on her were reassuring as she washed her face down with cold water as much as she could.

Shane burst into the ladies room, ignoring the horrified stares from some of the girls. "Is she all right?"

"Shane, I hate her so much," Celina choked out between splashes out of water. She looked into the mirror. It hurt to open her eyes. Her face was red, splotched from the burns.

"She's..." Mark bit his tongue. He wanted to drop the big "c" word about her, but knew better than to use it in Celina's presence. Shane seemed to understand and nodded.

"She will be punished for this."

"Then you guys better get to her before I do," Celina replied.

"This is bullshit," Mark replied. "When does this start constituting harassment?"

"This _is_ harassment," Shane replied.

"Shane, can you go get Randy?" she asked. Mark and Shane cocked an eyebrow. "I know he probably feels really bad about this. Please go get him."

"This is the _ladies_ room," one woman snapped.

"This woman's been burned something fierce with coffee," Mark explained. "I'm not leaving her until she can keep her eyes open painlessly." The woman huffed at Mark and stormed out. Before the other woman went out with her friend, she informed Celina that Mark was a keeper, which prompted Celina to smile.

The woman looked up at Mark. Celina could barely see the woman. "I'd get to the drug store and get some aloe vera to put on that burn," she replied. "Such a pretty girl. What a witch." Mark nodded and she left as Randy burst in. The woman shot him a glance and he flashed her his wedding ring. He made his way over to Celina.

"Hey - hey. Shane said you wanted to see me."

She looked up at him and he felt awful seeing the redness on her face. Her eyes were swollen and red. "Mark, can you get Celina a bag of ice? That might be better than the water." Mark nodded and rushed out the door. He gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry, honey. I didn't mean to get you hurt."

"It's okay, Randy. I'm not mad." She pulled back. Her eyes were still semi-closed. "Well, at you anyways. Bitch got fucking coffee in my eyes and it hurts to have them open."

"Maybe we should get you to the hospital," Randy replied. She dismissed it with a wave.

"I'll get Dr. Rios to take a look before I go back to the hotel. I'll get someone to take some pics in case I decide to charge the bitch. Lord knows there's enough witnesses." Randy nodded. "I'm sorry you're probably going to get in trouble."

"Women like her make getting in trouble worth it sometimes," Randy replied with a smile. She nodded.

"You and I sound a lot alike at the moment," she said with a laugh. Mark reappeared with an icebag and a waitress in pursuit.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" the waitress inquired.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Celina replied.

"Celina, maybe we should get you to..."

Randy shook his head. "She said she'll let Dr. Rios check it out, but no hospital."

"Is Rios even down here?" Mark asked. Randy shrugged.

"I'll go take a look." Randy disappeared out the door as the waitress grabbed a chair for Celina to sit in.

"Has the young lady had problems with this woman before?"

Mark nodded. "It's my ex-girlfriend," he replied, as if that explained everything. She nodded.

"She was looking to start trouble as soon as she sat down at the empty table behind us instead of the one by the McMahons," Celina replied. Mark nodded sympathetically. "It was why Randy made us switch spots."

Ferdinand Rios appeared behind Randy, with Vince and Shane in tow. Mark looked up. "Where's the other one?"

"Talking things over with Paul," Shane replied. Dr. Rios and Vince leaned down in front of Celina and began to look at her.

"Well, they won't be very serious burns," Dr. Rios replied, taking a look at her cheek. "But she is blistering already." Mark sighed.

"Look at her eyes, Dr. Rios," Randy replied. "She got coffee directly in her eyes.

He had her remove the ice bag from her left eye and looked. "There doesn't seem to be any sort of blistering on the eyes, and there doesn't seem to be any tissue damage. But they are going to hurt for a few days."

"No shit." Dr. Rios smirked.

"Celina, mind if I ask you a few questions about what happened?" Vince asked. She nodded. "What happened?"

"Michelle came in with Shelton and Chuck, and Randy sensed she was going to start an issue, so we traded spots so I wasn't near her. He whispered to the waitress she needed a Midol, she brought it to Michelle, Michelle flew off the handle, and now I'm here with burning eyes and blisters and women all mad at Mark that he's in the ladies room." Vince chuckled, then shot a glance at Randy.

"You never learn, do you, Orton?"

"I try," Randy confessed. Vince saw that Randy did legitimately feel bad about what happened and decided to let his guilt be the punishment. Michelle, on the other hand, was really going to get it. He looked over at Shane.

"Effective immediately, Shane-O, Michelle McCool is hereby suspended for sixty days. Pending a full investigation of what's happened, I want to go after her for professional misconduct and I want her downside guarantee hit with a fine of about ten thousand. I also hereby state that she is stripped of the Divas Championship and we'll set up a tournament when Celina gets better." Shane nodded and disappeared to let Stephanie know. Vince stood to his feet. "Mark, get her back to the hotel and keep care of her for a couple days. We'll give Vickie Guerrero a reprieve," he added with a wink and the guys laughed before Randy left to let the guys know what was happening. Mark kissed Celina's forehead.

"Come on, beautiful," he told her. "Let's go get you rested up." Celina nodded and they made their way out of the bathrom door towards the guys, who were all waiting in concern for Celina to emerge.


	91. Slammed

**Ninety-One**

With Michelle McCool huffing on her suspension, the backstage area of SmackDown was a little more cheerful. Celina and Mark entered, hand in hand, all smiles, saying hello to the technicians and colleagues as they made their way down the hallway. He dropped her off at the Divas locker room and took off to see Jack Lanza about what he was doing for the night.

With a deep breath, she entered the Divas locker room and found Lisa and Nattie getting ready. They looked over at her. "Thank Christ there's no scarring," Lisa replied. "What a bitch."

"Tell me about it," she replied. "So I didn't notice Reid around here."

"They moved his sorry ass to Raw with that heathen of his. Something about keeping him away from the Deadman." Celina laughed.

"I heard Mark knocked the fucker's block off," Nattie replied with her trademark laugh as she brushed out her long red hair. Celina nodded.

"I didn't see it, but he was sporting a bruised jaw on TV." The girls laughed.

"So, what's the plans for the Divas Championship?" Lisa asked. Celina shrugged.

"I'm not too sure," Celina replied. "I think Vickie's doing a tournament." The girls nodded; it seemed like a logical explanation. "With Eve, Maria, you two, me, Maryse, Lena and that Brie Bella woman. How is she, Lisa?"

"She's a good worker," Lisa replied, sliding on her knee pad. She was dressed in a red outfit with fishnet covering her torso and legs. "I like her."

"Eight Divas," Nattie mused. "That's good enough to lead it into the next pay-per-view." Celina nodded. "Any idea who they're going to put it on?"

"No," Celina answered. "Frankly, Nat, Lisa, you two deserve to hold it." The girls smiled.

"You do, too, Celina," Lisa replied. "You're a tough bitch."

"I got to be to deal with you two," Celina retorted and they laughed. Celina went to her duffel bag and pulled out a little black dress with red stitching to hold the front together. It was pretty risque, and she knew Mark would love it. The girls cocked an eyebrow. "Managing the Deadman tonight. Lanza already said so."

"Wow. That is a hot little number," Lisa replied. "Has Mark seen that yet?"

"No. This was strictly a private shopping trip." She began to change into it. "Think he'll like it?"

"He'd better not fucking jump you in this locker room," Lisa replied. Celina laughed, shaking her head.

"Nah...we'll save it for his locker room," she replied. Lisa and Nattie laughed and Celina got changed. She came back out and sat down on the bench and began lacing up her stilettos. She stood up, tousling her hair. "Guys, do I look okay?"

"Mark probably thinks you'd carry off a burlap sack, Celina, what does it matter?" Lisa asked. Celina laughed.

"Anyways, guys, I've got to go. Mark's waiting for me." She winked at them and the girls laughed before leaving the locker room.

Mark frowned. He was set to go out to the ring any minute and Celina still wasn't there. _Fucking Divas take forever_, he thought. He needed a coffee. He was exhausted, still jetlagged.

He heard stilettos clacking and turned to see Celina, his jaw hanging agape as he watched her make her way towards him. _Sweet Jesus._ He sucked in a breath. That dress was hot. She caught his gaze and smiled.

"Sorry I'm late," she told him, taking her place beside him. He stared down. It came up to just a little past her backside, showing off a lot of leg. "Could you quit salivating? It's not becoming of a Deadman."

He smiled. "Promise me you'll wear that tonight." A small blush spread up her neck. "Stilettos too." He heard the gong and saw the lights fade through the slits in the curtain. She was still blushing, but she took his arm and walked through the curtain.

The smoke billowed around her calves as Mark stood, foreboding, while the fans cheered like crazy. Vickie Guerrero was in the ring with Chavo and Bam Neely, expecting an apology for all of his recent mind games with the Family. Celina shot Vickie the dirtiest look she could muster, which was hard because she liked Vickie.

She got into the ring first while Mark made his way up the steps and climbed into the ring. Chavo and Bam assumed a fighting stance as he removed his hat and handed it to a guy at ringside, followed by his trenchcoat.

"Undertaker..." Vickie stopped. The heat on her was so incredible that she had a hell of a time getting her words out. The crowd really hated her. Celina was astounded by how much the crowd hated her. Vickie shouldered it very well.

"Excuse me!" Vickie's voice cut into Celina's thoughts and Celina smirked while Mark stood somber before them. "I'm trying to speak here!" Celina bit the inside of her cheek to contain her laughter. She was scared to make eye contact with Mark.

"Undertaker, I have _tried_ being nice to you. I'm a human being, and I will be the first to admit that I've made my mistakes. But it's completely different when you refuse to accept my apology. I gave you my husband. He's in hell. What more do you want from me."

Celina strutted past Chavo and Bam and grabbed a microphone. She made her way back to Mark and handed him the microphone. She could feel Bam's eyes on her and it made her feel self conscious in her dress. It wasn't until she was back standing with Mark that she felt better.

"Woman," Mark growled. Celina frowned. _What the fuck is up with his voice?_ she wondered. He took a menacing step towards Vickie, and Bam and Chavo took a step closer. "I told you once before, I've come for your soul." Chavo and Bam exchanged glances as though they had enough of what Taker was saying and lunged, while Vickie bailed from the ring. Celina knew she should bail, but creative had told her that they wanted her to take a chokeslam when Big Show came out.

The crowd roared and she could sense Big Show running behind her. She focused on cheering Mark on, even leveling Bam with a kick to the groin from behind. As he sank to his knees, Big Show leveled Mark with a big kick to the face and grabbed Celina by the throat, his face contorted into a snarl. She tried to kick at him, but she knew that it wouldn't do much. Big Show was a huge guy. It was like a fly trying to tip a cow. With a loud roar, he lifted her high and slammed her hard to the mat. Knowing better, she rolled out of the ring and let Mark take care of Big Show. When Big Show, Bam and Chavo laid out Mark and left the ring, Celina remained motionless. She knew it didn't look good if Mark sold the shot longer than she did. The referees tended to Celina and made an X motion with his hands to indicate medical help as Taker sat up. They made their way down with the gurneys, but Mark sent them back, instead lifting Celina into his arms. Celina kept her eyes closed as she heard Mark's music reverberate through the arena as he carried her backstage.


	92. Concern For Mark

_**A/N: Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for all the reviews and making this the most reviewed story I've written. Unfortunately, I'm feeling the urge to wrap this up, so the next two or three chapters is going to be it. I'm working on another Taker story and my muse on this one is starting to wane. Thank you all so much for reading**_

**Ninety Two**

Celina was taking on Maryse in hopes to advance to the Divas Championship match at the next pay-per-view. She was dressed in a black vinyl pantsuit, jumping from foot to foot in front of the curtain.

"Everybody down, everybody down, I'm coming around, coming around, coming around. Everybody down, everybody down. I need every single person right now on the ground!"

Celina burst through the curtain. She was still a little bit sore from the Chokeslam she had taken the week before. Paul had slammed her a little bit harder than intended, but at least it made it easier for her to sell. She made her way into the ring and waited for Maryse to come out.

Maryse made her way out doing a little dance and a little hair flip before making her way down the ramp. She knew that battling Celina wouldn't allow her to take the time to showboat on the ring apron. Celina hated having to wait for the bell to ring, let alone wait for the other Divas to play to the crowd. Not like it mattered, anyways; the crowd hated Maryse.

It was going to work that Lisa took on Maria, Nattie would take on Brie Bella, Celina had Maryse and Lena was going to take on Eve. Lisa and Celina were competing, followed by Lena and Nattie the following week. The winners would then meet up in week three, with the finalists going to the pay-per-view. Celina was hoping for a match against either Lisa or Nattie. She knew that she would have a hell of a match against the two of them.

The match went by quick enough, it was quick and painless for Celina since she hated working with women like Maryse. Maryse tried for a spike DDT and Celina countered it into her finisher, pinning her for a three count. She sighed, sitting up and smiling out at the crowd. "And the winner, advancing into the Divas Championship tournament, Celina!" Celina made her way to her feet and rolled out of the ring as the referee made her way around and raised her hand as she stumbled back, smiling, watching as Maryse fumed in the middle of the ring, holding the side of her head.

Backstage Mark was smiling, wrapping her into his arms. "Congratulations, beautiful."

"Please, Mark, it wasn't that great of a match," she answered, hugging him back. "What's your game plan for tonight?"

"I just get to torture Vickie and Chavo tonight. I had to do some lame shit where I popped up behind him and choked him." She laughed and he leaned in, giving her a kiss. Celina pulled back and smiled.

"So which one are you fighting this month?"

"I'm fighting Big Show at the pay-per-view. You managing me?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"Well, Vince might want me to compete for the Divas title that night. If not, then you know I'll be in your corner."

"Why do I sense a but here?"

"Don't ask me to take another chokeslam. That shit hurts." He laughed and hugged her. He had to admit that since Reid had been transferred and Michelle suspended, Celina had been a lot happier. She'd been much more laidback, instead of stressing about the people around her, she was focusing on getting better in the ring and she was thriving. Mark couldn't be happier.

"I've got to go talk to Vickie and Paul," he told her, kissing her forehead. "I just wanted to make sure I congratulated you on your match, beautiful. I'll see you a little later."

"I'll see you later, Mark," she replied, giving him a quick kiss before they separated.

Celina walked into the Divas locker room and found Nattie and Lisa hanging out together. "Hey. Looks like you're going through to two weeks." She smiled.

"Well I hope you two manage to make it through, too, I want to be able to take on at least one of you guys in the finals...if I get there."

"Well, we'd love to take a round at you too," Lisa said and the girls laughed as Celina took a seat. "So what's up for your night?"

"Not too much. Mark's knees haven't been doing so good, so I thought I'd take him back to the hotel and try and make him feel just a little bit better."

"Oh, too much information!" Lisa shouted and Nattie laughed her trademark laugh. Celina shook her head.

"Jesus, you two have the filthiest minds!" she said, laughing along with them. "Seriously, his knees are fucked, so I thought I'd try to make them feel a bit better. I'm getting more and more worried about his health." The girls nodded.

"I know what you mean," Lisa replied. "It seems like he need more and more time off and he's not getting anywhere." Celina nodded. "I'm sure he just needs to relax a little bit more. Does he do a lot around the house?"

"No more, no less than what he usually does," Celina replied. "But I was even reading fan reports saying that they could see the invincible Deadman limping backstage, trying to punch feelings into his knees. It's worrying the hell out of me."

"Has he gotten them checked out?" Nattie asked. Celina shook her head.

"He's being stubborn. He already took time off for his hip, he doesn't want to take anymore time off for his knees."

"That is the stupidest shit I've ever heard," Lisa replied.

"Tell me about it," Celina replied. "But Mark is a stubborn man." The girls nodded. Lisa stood up to go do some last minute preparations for her match. Celina sighed. She knew she was going to need to broach the subject of Mark's knees with him, but she hated the idea of him having to take more time off. She knew he'd hate it too. But the image of him limping night in and night out was making her more and more concerned. She knew she'd have to bring it up to him pretty soon. She needed him to at least check up on his knees and figure out where to go from there.


	93. Moving on in the Tournament

**Ninety-Three**

Week two of the tournament was going to go smoothly. Celina would take on Lisa, and Nattie was going to take on Eve. The winners would then meet the following Sunday at the pay-per-view in Chicago.

Maryse and Maria were a little agitated that they weren't even being considered for title contention, but Vince wanted to at least try and make the title seem legitimate. He felt that Michelle McCool had diluted the legitimacy by her actions towards Celina and Mark.

The quartet were standing around in the Divas locker room, getting ready for their respective matches, chattering excitedly about the opportunity to hold the championship. Eve had her brown hair in a ponytail, dressed in a rhinestone halter top and little black shorts with matching boots. She was applying a clear gloss to her lips, unable to keep the wide smile from her features. She pulled back and turned to Nattie. "See you out there."

"Good luck, Evie," Nattie replied with a cocky grin on her face, "You're going to need it." Eve shot her a glance and left. Celina smirked; Nattie wasn't arrogant, regardless of what some Divas said. She was confident. As the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and the niece of Bret and Owen Hart, one would have to know what they were doing in the ring. Nattie had become a terrific mentor to Celina, showing her submission holds here and there. Celina was dressed in a pair of black vinyl pants and a black vinyl halter that ended just under her breasts, exposing her midriff. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was applying a red gloss to her lips.

"You hit me with that Widow's Peak tonight, Lisa and I'm kicking your ass when we get back here," she said with a small smirk. Lisa laughed. She was dressed in a black and red little number with a lot of fishnet.

"I think the plan is that it's going to be you and Nat at the pay-per-view," Lisa replied with a smile. "So as long as you remember to counter, I doubt we'll have a problem." She smiled. Nattie fixed her lip gloss and she made her way out the door.

"See you guys after the match," Nattie replied, grabbing her white cropped jacket and making her way out the door. Lisa and Celina smiled at one another.

"Have you spoken to Mark about his knees?" Lisa asked. Celina's face darkened. "I'm assuming that's a yes, and it wasn't very pretty."

"Yeah. It was a hell of a fight," Celina said. "He accused me of nagging him to retire."

"Well, you weren't, were you?"

"Fuck no," she replied with a shake of her head, applying some waterproof mascara to her lashes. "I told him that he came back too early and that he should think about doing something to avoid long term damage. But he hasn't spoken to me since. I just get a grumble or a grunt here and there. You know he's mad when I'm cut off."

"How long's it been?"

"Well...it has been about a month...but judging from the argument we had the other night...I think we got about six more weeks of frost." Lisa laughed.

"Ouch."

"I don't know where the fuck he got the idea that I was nagging him to retire. I told him to take some time off, go get his knees scoped and go from there. But, you know, I am such a bitch for caring." The bitterness crept into her tone and Lisa's expression softened. She put on a cropped red jacket that had short sleeves and curved just under her breasts. "I'm going to go do some stretches with Nat. I'll see you in the ring." Lisa nodded and watched helplessly as Celina made her way out the door.

"Lisa?"

She entered Mark's locker room nervously. She saw that the television was on. Nattie was just making her way out to the ring; Eve would be next. She turned to him. He was already dressed in his ring gear; the beautiful trenchcoat hanging on a nearby coat hook with the hat rested in a cubby above. His hair was wet, he was back to standing close to the mirror to apply the black eyeliner. "Can we talk?"

"You want to talk, talk," he grumbled, placing the pencil down on the desk. He went to his bag and grabbed a bottle of asprin, popping two and drinking them down with a bottle of Gatorade. Lisa sighed.

"Celina's really upset tonight," Lisa commented. "She said you were really nasty last week."

"You're only hearing her side, Lisa," he sighed. "This has nothing to do with you. We'll sort it out...but for right now we just need to cool off."

"Mark, this is my fault, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so intimidated by him at the moment. "Look, she was concerned last week that your knees were in bad shape. She was worried because there's reports that you're running around trying to punch feelings into your knees and you're limping, and just overall, _really_ looking like a dead man. So I told her to talk to you about it."

"She wants me to retire, Lisa, and I'm just not ready for it."

"Mark, I think I need to reintroduce your brain to your mouth because you're talking out of your ass," she fumed. He stared at her in shock. "Celina was not trying to talk you into retirement. She was trying to tell you you came back from injury too soon. Is she really wrong about that? Look at you. You're just standing and you can barely do that."

"Lisa..." he growled. She was crossing the line, and fast.

"Mark, don't even," she told him, holding up her hand to silence him. "You wanted to be with Celina, you're going to have to accept the fact that she worries about you just as much as you worry about her.

"Now, within the next twenty minutes, she has a match against Nattie. And her head is not in the match. It's on you. So you are going to take your giant self over to the gym, where she probably is, and make her feel a little bit better before she goes out to the ring tonight." He stared at her incredulously. "Don't even think about arguing with _me._ Get moving." With a grumble and a grunt, he gathered his trenchcoat and his hat, putting them on as he stalked out the door. Lisa noticed the limp.

Celina was lifting some free weights in the gym, her back towards the entrance of the gym. Her match wasn't too far away.

She was nervous. The rumor was that Vince wanted to put the championship on her, and have Michelle chasing her - and failing - when she came back. But Nattie was competent, and he hadn't yet given the final word on the matter. She figured he would before the pay-per-view. But it still weighed heavy on her mind. Did Vince see her as champion material?

She felt two arms snake around her waist and felt a pair of lips on her neck. She knew it was Mark; she could feel the bristly feeling of his facial hair tickling her skin. She continued to lift, not speaking.

"Good luck on your match tonight," he told her. "You've done a tremendous job in the ring. I'm proud of you."

She smiled softly, but didn't turn to face him. He sighed; he hated having to apologize. And he knew Celina was going to make him do it. "Celina...I'm sorry I'm a prick." She chuckled softly. "I know you meant well, but...well, I'm a prick." She laughed. "When we get home, I'll book something with the doctors and see what we can do, all right?" She nodded and put the weights down on the rack, turning to run her hands inside his trenchcoat, along his stomach. He smiled down at her.

"I've, um, got to go for my match," she told him with a smile. "Am I leaving with you tonight or are you taking off with the boys?"

He smirked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I think I'm coming home with you tonight, if that's all right." He shook his head. "I don't feel like getting loaded with the boys tonight." She nodded and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"I've got to go," she told him softly as she pulled her lips from his. "Good luck out there tonight." He nodded, smiling.

"I love you, Celina. Break a leg out there."

She smiled. "Love you, too, honey. And with my luck, I probably will." He laughed as she bolted out of the gym area.

_"Everybody down, everybody down...I need every single person right now on the ground!"_

Celina burst through the curtains, the fans going crazy for her. She looked down the ramp and could see Lisa in the ring, jumping from foot to foot and beckoning Celina to come closer to the ring. Celina smiled and slid into the ring, bolting directly for Lisa and taking her down with a double leg takedown, mounting punch after punch on her. Lisa was so surprised, she hardly had time to counter. There had been quite a rivalry brewing on television between Celina and Lisa, and the fans were just screaming for the two Divas to rip each other to shreds.

The referee pulled Celina off of Lisa and Lisa rolled out of the ring, much to the chagrin of the fans, who let her know their displeasure with her tactic. Celina was smiling, motioning for Lisa to come back into the ring. Lisa climbed back into the ring slowly as the referee held Celina back.

The match kicked into high gear after that, with the girls hitting their spots; an Old School, a slingshot leg drop, a standing moonsault. The fans were going over the edge for a match that was only slotted to run ten minutes. The finish came when Lisa tried for the Widow's Peak, but was thwarted and hit with the Inhaler. Celina quickly covered for a three count and the fans almost took the roof off the arena. She lay against Lisa's stomach for a second, taking in the raucous atmosphere and the noise.

_"That's the end of you, time to jump ship...cause I'm a psycho and I'm crazy..."_

"And the winner of this match, via pinfall, and moving on to the Divas Championship Tournament finals...Celina!"


	94. The Finals

**Brand New Laptop, guys!! PunkyDiva17 is baaaaaack! Whoo!**

**Okay, now that that is out of my system; I have some big news. First off, I'm working on a collaboration with MVPisMyDrugofChoice under the username JennabelleandDarylLea. **

**Also, I am currently in the process of reworking some of my older stories in hopes of finishing them. First on the list is the first Memoirs of A Diva story. **

**To everybody who has read and reviewed this story of mine, I am forever indebted to you for your patience and for you guys making this story the most reviewed story I have on here. Thank you guys, so very, very much. And now, without further a due….the finale.**

**Chapter Ninety-Four**

"Celina, I hate to alarm you, but we have an enormous problem."

Celina turned to face Lisa, who was flanked by Eve and Maria, all with expressions of panic and excitement on their features all at once. Mark cocked an eyebrow at them. The duo had just arrived from the airport, and both were excited to tape _SmackDown_. Vince had called Celina during the week and had informed them that the championship was going to go to Celina in the finals, causing an unrivalled sense of pride in Mark and extreme excitement in Celina.

"Why? What's the problem?" she asked. "Vince decide to go with Nattie for the title?"

"Worse - Nattie can't compete." That caused Celina's spine to go rigid. Her face darkened.

"What do you mean that Nattie can't compete?"

"Nattie got injured working on a new move with Tyson and David. She's going to be out for a couple months. Broke her ankle trying to pull off the landing or something…"

"Get out of here," Celina laughed, shaking her head. "Sick joke, girls. Not funny."

\ "We're not kidding," Eve assured her. "If you really don't believe us, go ask Vince."

Celina sighed; the day had seemed so promising. Now everything seemed to be in severe disarray on what was supposed to be the biggest night of her short career. "I guess I should go and talk to Vince and see what he wants to do about the situation." She turned to Mark. "Can you take my bags in?"

"Yeah, not a problem," he told her, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry about it too much, Celina. Knowing Vince, he already has something lined up. He's a smart guy; he's always got a back up plan." Celina nodded.

"Let's hope so," Celina said. "At least, let's hope his plan isn't just scrapping the entire thing all together."

"Doubtful," Maria told her. "After all, he has approved all the final things for tonight. Everyone's already doing their pre-tapes." Celina nodded.

"I guess I should go and get this over with," she said. "I'll see you guys in a few." She gave Mark a quick hug and then disappeared into the arena.

"Yeah?"

"Vince, I just heard from the girls what happened to Nattie."

"Yeah. That's sure a kick in the teeth. She has to have surgery to get a plate put in her ankle or something or other," Vince informed her. "We're just waiting for her X-Rays to come in. Let me guess - you're worried about what that's going to mean for the finals of the tournament." Celina nodded, unable to say a word; afraid of what Vince's response to the situation was going to be. "Well, don't you worry - you're still going to win the title tonight. That's a guarantee. I even have an opponent in mind."

"Can I know who it is?" she inquired. Vince shook his head.

"I'm a firm believer in the element of surprise," Vince told her. "And the advantage of silence. You just head out to the ring at the top of the seven o'clock hour and you'll find out who your opponent is." Celina wanted to argue that it would give her time to prepare for the match with her opponent, but she also knew that there was no arguing with Vince. Tonight the match would be called on the fly. She wasn't familiar with doing it that way, the way that the greats like Ric Flair and Arn Anderson did, but she knew that in WWE, she was going to have to adapt or that would be it for her.

"All right," she said finally, just thankful that he hadn't decided to scrap the match. "Thanks again for giving me this opportunity."

\ "Just run with it, Celina," he told her. She nodded and let herself out of his office. No matter how many times she talked to him, he still intimidated her beyond belief. She knew he was a regular human being, but there was something about Vincent Kennedy McMahon that was just larger than life. She made her way down the long tiled hallway and went into the Divas locker room, where the girls were waiting, anxious to hear what the word was about the situation.\

"So?" Lisa inquired as soon as Celina had one foot inside of the door. She closed it.

"Vince said that the match is on at the top of the seven o'clock hour and that he already has an opponent lined up for me."

"Probably somebody from _Raw_," Maria replied, "because he hasn't said anything to the women here."

"I did hear Mickie James was on her way here," Eve said. "She does only live twenty minutes away. It would make perfect sense."

"It would give you some in-ring credibility, too," Lisa replied. "Fighting a top Diva like Mickie James would do nothing but wonders for you…and with you winning, that would establish you as a formidable Diva in the fan's eyes."

"That's good to know," she replied. "Did Mark drop my bag off here?"

"Yeah," Eve said. "It's in the corner there."

"How are things between the two of you?" Lisa inquired. Celina shrugged.\

"Still a bit frosty, but it's getting better. He's just so god damn stubborn that it's hard for him not to take a piece of advice as being told what to do."

"Men," Lisa replied with a roll of her brown eyes. Celina nodded, pulling out a black lace-up halter.

"I'm just glad it seems to be getting better. I've been really worried that all of this was going to collapse our relationship."

"Doubtful," Eve said. "I'm sure you guys have survived worse."

"McCool," coughed Maria. The Divas laughed.

"How do you guys think she's enjoying her vacation?" Lisa asked with a laugh.

"I hope it's killing her," Celina retorted hotly. Everybody was well aware now that there was no chance at a friendship with Michelle McCool. People always said that anything could happen in WWE, but the chances of a friendship between those two were definitely slim to none.

Celina fell into a reflection. Her life had really picked up when Mark had picked her up that night many months ago. She had made great friends in girls like Lisa, Eve and Maria, yet made staunch enemies in the other girls like Michelle and Maryse. She had a short, yet beautiful relationship with Shelton Benjamin, and had pushed the boundaries of her relationship with Mark to the point of no return. While things seemed rocky between them at the moment, she knew that they were going to weather the storm. They always did. Their friendship was the truest friendship either of them had ever known, and Celina knew that they would both fight to keep their friendship and their love for one another intact.

"Celina?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you thinking?" Eve asked. "You haven't said a word in ten minutes. You've just been staring into your bag."

Celina bit her lower lip, her face darkening for a second before she shrugged it off with a chuckle. "I can't decide what pants to wear. The black with the silver buckle, or the black with the red buckle, or just the black vinyl shorts with the red belt…"

"Go with the shorts," Lisa told her. "You only live once." The girls laughed and Celina got changed.

"Are you nervous?" Maria asked. Celina nodded.

"Yeah," she answered, "but I know I'll be fine." The girls nodded.

"You look focused," Eve told her. "I'm still really curious as to who your opponent is."

"You and me both," Celina said. "I was hoping I wasn't going to have to do this on the fly, but what the hell - gives me a chance to learn something new." The girls nodded and Celina stood to her feet. "Anyway, I should go get a warm up in before the match. I'll see you guys for margaritas after the show? Champ's buying." The girls applauded, cheered and laughed, all hugging and congratulating Celina before she left the room.

"_Everybody down, everybody down, I need every single person right now on the ground!"_

Mark had wished her good luck at the Gorilla position; kissing her softly and telling her not to worry; that the match was going to go smoothly and everything was going to be okay. He also assured her he would meet her back at the hotel and allow her to have girl time with Lisa, Maria and Eve. She was focused, not into showboating, just walking down the ramp to the ring, moving her arms around in a swinging motion in hopes to limber herself. She slid into the ring and posed on the second rope by the commentator's table before jumping off, shifting from foot to foot. Anxiety was bubbling in her stomach, spreading like a wildfire that threatened to overwhelm her. She swallowed the developing feeling and forced a smile on her features. She waited for the next theme to begin, but it seemed like it was taking forever. Maybe her opponent hadn't arrived yet? She didn't know.

"_You're not enough for me…just another man in love with me…"_

Celina couldn't keep the look of shock off of her face. "Fuck me," she exclaimed. She was pretty sure that everyone could hear it, but she didn't care. Michelle showed up on the ramp, a wide smile on her face, her eyes narrowed in a way that Celina could only describe as downright evil. She stopped at the top of the ramp and kept smiling. Celina was befuddled, before it all became clear.

Layla and Vickie Guerrero walked out onto the stage, taking their places on either side of Michelle. "Fuck me _sideways!_" Celina snapped, throwing her arms up in exasperation. She couldn't help but describe Vince McMahon as a walking gong show; somebody who just enjoyed creating madness, chaos and disorder everywhere that he went.

"Excuse me!" Vickie Guerrero said into the microphone she was holding. Celina's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she turned to face them. The crowd rained an enormous amount of heat down on Eddie Guerrero's widow. "Excuse me!" she bellowed again, eliciting more heckles and jeers from the crowd. "Celina, honey, I just came from Vince McMahon's office and he decided that it would be for the best if you and Michelle McCool competed in the finals in a no-disqualification match." Celina smiled and motioned with her hands for Michelle McCool to bring it on. Michelle was making her way towards the ring with a purpose, while Celina paced back and forth like a caged animal, seething, irate with Vince and irate with Nattie for getting hurt.

Once inside the ring, the two Divas instantly began to exchange blows. Michelle quickly got the upper hand and took down Celina with a double leg takedown, levelling potato shots after potato shots to Celina's face. Almost instantly, she could feel the trickle of blood coming out of her nose. The referee pulled Michelle back and went to Celina, kneeling down beside her.

"Celina," Charles Robinson yelled above the shouting crowd, "Are you okay to go?"

Celina made her way to her feet slowly and wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. "Fuck yeah," she snapped. "This bitch is mine."

Charles announced her decision, and Michelle and Celina locked up. Celina backed Michelle into the corner and began hitting her with hard knees, hard enough to make Michelle start dry heaving. Celina broke the hold, but made sure to deliver a hard kick to the abdomen. She grabbed Michelle by the hair and flung her across the ring. She landed face first, biting her lip on impact. Now both Divas had tasted their own blood.

Celina was on her in an instant, not giving her a chance to get any sort of advantage, placing her foot on her spine and her hands on Michelle's arms, pulling her back, before slamming her face down with the back of her foot. She grabbed Michelle by the back of the hair and slammed her face into the canvas a couple of times and rubbed her face into the canvas.

Vickie and Layla were stunned at ringside, watching their friend take the beating of her life. With Michelle momentarily incapacitated, Celina turned around in an effort to challenge the two of them to try anything; Vickie wasn't really a wrestler; so Celina knew that she was safe from her. But Layla…the look on Layla's face also said that she wasn't going to try anything. The look in Celina's eyes said it all.

Celina went back to Michelle, rolling her over and straddling her, grabbing her hair and slamming her head into the canvas. "Stop!" Michelle started screaming, but rage had consumed Celina. All the anger, all the frustration, the humiliation. The bumps, the bruises, the contusions and burns. The rifts she had created. Every single problem that Michelle had caused was enough to drive Celina crazy and she continued to pummel Michelle. She stood up, satisfied with the blood that trickled from both her mouth and her nostrils. With a grin on her face, she lifted Michelle and hit her hard with an Impaler DDT. She rolled onto Michelle and covered her for the three count.

The bell rang and Nonpoint echoed through the arena, but Celina wasn't registering anything as she sat on her knees in the middle of the ring, hands on her thighs, breathing heavily and seeing red from all the hatred and the rage she was feeling. Her nose was more than likely broken, but the adrenaline had numbed the pain. She wiped the back of her hand against her nose area again and saw more blood. She shrugged; it was nothing; it'd get fixed and she would be fine to go. Mark could pitch it to creative that she wrestle with a mask on her face. Layla and Vickie had reached into the ring and were pulling Michelle out. The close to six foot Diva crumpled in a heap on the canvas outside, leading Vickie and Layla to motion for the paramedics to come down to the ring. Charles approached Celina and raised her hand in victory.

Lisa, Eve and Maria made their way out to the ring to celebrate the victory at ringside, the girls unable to hide the shock of seeing Michelle unconscious at ringside. They gave Celina a hug and they all raised arms in victory. Celina looked at the stage. Mark would be back there waiting for her. This match had hopefully closed the book on the saga of Michelle McCool, Celina Cooper and Mark Calaway. It was Celina's hope now that when she went through the black curtains and back into reality, that it was now a whole new chapter.


End file.
